52 New Assignment
by ARtheBard
Summary: In the wake of the Winslow case, Emily leaves the BAU to lead a task force aiming to stop a terrorist attack. When one of her task force members turns out to be a mole she puts aside her anger to get the help she needs from the BAU to protect public safety. But will it be enough to heal the team or will it be their last hurrah?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here we go on a ride that actually made me cringe last week in the wake of the Boston Marathon attack, the Ricin letters, and the explosion in West, TX. But there are enough differences I hope no one will think I'm doing a "ripped from the headlines" kind of thing with the terrorism aspect of the story. It was actually in progress before the news reports and I actually stopped writing it for a couple of days and even considered dropping it completely. But the capture of the second Boston terrorist spurred me to move forward with it. I hope I did the right thing.**

**Please keep the victims in Boston and West in your thoughts as they and their families move forward in healing. And hail to the police and security personnel who stopped the Ricin laced letters before they reached their targets. It's a crazy, crazy world out there, folks. Hope my crazy little stories help you forget it if just for a little while.**

**-AR**

* * *

Dr. Lara Westfallen is waiting for Emily when she walks into the office. She is stunned by the haunted look in the woman's eyes; a look she hasn't seen in a long, long time.

"Oh, Emily," she says compassionately.

Emily tries to smile but can't. "I…I…"

Westfallen gestures towards the inner office. "Come in and sit down. Would you like a drink or anything?"

"Got a whiskey?"

Westfallen smiles. "Sorry but no. Water or apple juice only, I'm afraid."

"I, uh, guess a water might be good."

"Of course. Have a seat."

As she retrieves the bottle of water the doctor uses the time to study her patient. Emily sits on the edge of the sofa, her elbows on her legs as she sits hunched over. Her hands wring together and she seems to be looking around as if expecting an attack at any moment. Considering the varying things that had happened to the woman in the time Westfallen had seen her, she has never seen Emily so out of sorts. She hands Emily the bottle of water and sits across from her.

"What's wrong, Emily?" she asks softly.

"I was…was…shit…" she tries to take a drink but sees how much her hand is shaking. She sets the bottle down. "I was almost raped." She takes a shuddering breath. "Again."

"Oh, Emily. How did it happen?"

"Hotch fucking sent me into the woods with Morgan who was already hurt. He reinjured his arm and I was left out there with the fucker raping brown-eyed brunettes. They fucking let me down, Doc. They let me DOWN!"

She buries her face in her hands. Westfallen slowly stands and moves to the couch. She reaches out and lightly touches Emily's arm, not surprised when the woman flinches.

"I'm sure they didn't mean to."

"Fuck. Of course they didn't. But they did. Again." Emily stands and starts to pace, hard marching steps, her arms wrapped tightly around her body. "When I was with Interpol I knew Clyde Easter would get me killed or worse. I knew it. But I never expected it from Hotch and I sure as hell didn't expect it from Morgan. I fucking told him if he couldn't handle the trek to stay behind. If he had it would have been different. But no, he fucking insisted he was fine. But he wasn't. He fucking WASN'T!"

She stops and braces herself against the wall as she starts to breathe heavily.

"If he had been healthy the horse wouldn't have been able to dislocate his arm again. If Hotch or Rossi or Reid had been there they wouldn't have fucked up their arms." She sobs. "And then Hank couldn't have gotten his hands on me."

Westfallen maintains her position so as not to crowd Emily. "Emily, tell me what happened."

Emily turns and leans back against the wall. "I was alone."

She tells the doctor about the horses running off and being returned by a seemingly nice ranch hand. And how she had insisted Morgan go down with the man since he was hurt. Then Anna's boyfriend showing up. And finally about going off alone to see the last 2 sites so she could get the heck out of the park.

Westfallen takes a deep breath. "So, you volunteered to go off alone?"

"That's NOT the POINT!" Emily hollers. "I wouldn't have HAD to go off alone if Hotch hadn't fucking sent MORGAN! That's the God damned point!"

"So in all of this, who is to blame, Emily?"

"Blame?" Emily repeats. "Fucking Hotch and Morgan are to blame! Hotch shouldn't have sent him and Morgan should have had the balls to say he wasn't healthy enough to go!"

"I see. So there is no blame for the rapist?"

Emily stares at her in shock. "He…I…well, he…I mean, yes he has some blame for what actually happened but he's not to blame for what put me alone out there!"

"You told me you volunteered to ride off alone."

Emily leaps away from the wall. "WHOSE FUCKING SIDE ARE YOU ON?"

"I'm on _your_ side, Emily. That means making you accept everything that went on and recognizing that you had a part in the attack on you."

Emily stomps towards her. "Don't you DARE blame me for what happened! I was tied up! I'd been knocked out twice! I couldn't do a damn thing as he started to tear…tear…tear the shirt off of me. It WASN'T my fault!"

"I'm not blaming you for the attack or what he did to you, Emily. I would never do that. But you will not get past the fury if you don't admit to yourself that you're angry with yourself."

Emily is literally shaking with rage. "I…I didn't come here to get blamed for this shit. I'm fucking done."

Westfallen stands. "Emily, please, don't go. You need to work through this. I dare say it will take more than one session but don't walk out of here this angry. Please, if not for yourself do it for your children. Don't let them see you this angry."

Emily's eyes narrow. "Fuck you for trying to use them against me. I'm _done_," she reiterates.

She pushes past Westfallen. The doctor tries to stop her once more but Emily ignores her, slamming the door forcefully as she storms out. Westfallen sighs.

"Please, Emily, come back soon," she says towards the door, praying Emily will heed the prayer.


	2. Chapter 2

JJ leaves the office at 4:30. She drives home nervously, wondering what state of mind she'll find her wife in. When she pulls into the driveway she swallows hard when she sees the Lexus is not in the garage.

"Damn it." She pulls out her phone and calls Garcia. "Pen, you still at work?"

"Just getting ready to leave."

"Please, before you go, can you find Emily's signal?"

Garcia sits back down and brings her computer out of hibernation. "Let's see. Her phone is…damn. Her other phone…well shit. Jayje, both show they went offline about 2:15."

"Shit. Can you find her Lexus?"

Garcia types a little more. "Son of a bitch…looks like she disabled the GPS on it around 2:30. And before you ask, she was at your shrinks office when she did it."

"Son of a bitch, Emily," JJ mutters. "She's mad and scared and on the run. Where the hell would she go?"

Garcia thinks a second. "Your old condo?"

"Can't. We have a TDY sublet right now."

"Her parents condo or rowhouse?"

"Both being used right now. Maybe she called Tom."

"Good thought. Let me see if I can…damn her…figures. Tried to turn her phones on remotely but she must have taken the batteries out."

"She knows us too well," JJ mutters. "Thanks for checking, Pen. Let me get off. It's time to get inside and spend some time with Rocky. Damn her for not thinking about our daughter!"

"Jayje, if she's really screwed up about things, maybe she was thinking about her when she decided not to come home while Rocky is awake," Pen says sincerely.

"Maybe. Still pretty fucking pissed that she hasn't even tried to contact me. How the hell can I help her if she won't fucking talk to me, Pen?"

"I can't answer that one, JJ. But, when she does finally contact you, and I _know_ she will, try to just hear her out first. You can be pissed after she's better, okay?"

JJ sighs and leans her head back against the headrest. "Yeah, I'll try. I promise. Love you, Pen."

"Love you, too, Jayje."

JJ pockets her phone and goes inside to see her daughter. Just before she walks into the kitchen she takes a deep breath and plasters a smile on her face.

"How's my baby girl?" she says with a happiness she doesn't quite feel.

"Ma!" Rocky says, reaching towards her Mommy.

"Hey, Sweet Girl." JJ leans down and kisses her cheek. "I love you, Rocky."

"Love!"

JJ smiles at the latest word in the little girl's vocabulary. "I am so happy you learned that word, Rock. Love you."

"Love!" Rocky says again, knowing it makes her Mommy happy.

JJ strokes her hand through the dark curls once more and goes to stand beside Francesca, who had given the woman a moment with Rocky.

"Hi, Francesca."

"Hello, Jennifer."

"Have…have you heard from Emily today?" JJ whispers.

Francesca frowns. "No. Have you?"

"No. Something bad happened on the case. When the team came back she just left Quantico. I know she went to see our psychiatrist, didn't stay long, and when she left she disabled the GPS on her car and took the batteries out of her phones. She's scared and angry and on edge."

"Damn her for not reaching out to us."

JJ nods. "Exactly. We'll deal with her issues when she finally decides to bring her ass home."

Francesca nods. "Understood. If by chance she calls me I will try to get her to come home. Whatever is going on with her, love can help her to heal, yes?"

JJ smiles. "Yes. And once she's healed _then_ I can kick her ass."

Francesca chuckles as JJ goes upstairs to change out of her work clothes. She calls Tom but finds Emily hadn't called him, either. He promises to let her know if that changes. JJ then spends the rest of the evening playing with one of the two cutest kids in the world.

* * *

After putting Rocky to bed, JJ had gone into the office off the bedroom and taken the time to set a few bills up to pay. She also worked on a consult she had brought home with her. When she looks at the clock she sighs.

"It's 10:30, Jennifer. Do you know where your wife is?" she drawls. "Fuck no," she answers herself.

Shaking her head she puts her work in her briefcase and goes into the bathroom to take a shower. She has just finished washing her hair when a sound from the child monitor catches her ear. She slides the glass door open and hears Emily singing softly to Rocky. Tears spring into JJ's eyes as she hears the sorrow in her wife's voice.

"Oh, Emily," she whispers.

She ducks back into the shower to finish rinsing off. She gets out and wraps her hair up in a towel. She dries off quickly and slips on her terrycloth robe. As she walks into the bedroom she sees Emily is sitting in the recliner staring out at the backyard.

"I'm sorry, Jennifer," Emily says, never looking towards her wife. "I shouldn't have run. I shouldn't have…have ignored your call. I should have…have…fuck, I don't even know anymore."

JJ walks over and leans against the window. "You didn't just run, Em. You hid. You disabled your GPS and took the batteries out of your phones."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry."

"Talk to me, Emily. What's going on in your head?"

Emily shrugs. "I'm angry and scared and I don't know what to do about it."

"Okay. What did Westfallen say?"

"She said it was all my fault that I was nearly raped."

JJ frowns. "What? I don't…I don't believe that, Emily."

Emily leaps up, fury in her eyes. "What, am I a liar now, too? Fuck this! I tried." She starts towards the door.

JJ grabs her arm. "HEY! Wait a second! I didn't call you a liar! I just think that…that maybe in your state you just misunderstood her."

Emily pulls away. "I heard her loud and clear, Jen. And now you're taking her side!"

"I'm not taking anyone's side, Emily. But if I was, I'd be on your side. Damn it, Emily, I love you and all I want to do is wrap you up in my arms and tell you everything will be okay. But I can't do that. So all I can do is try to get you to talk to me; get me to understand why you look like you're ready to run away from me and everything you hold dear, including our two children."

Emily leans back against the wall. "I can't…can't get past it, Jen."

"Past what, Emily?"

"What nearly happened to me twice recently. And I…I can't help it but I'm blaming Hotch and Morgan. Mostly Hotch but Derek a little, too. And I can't understand why Rossi or Reid didn't say something to change who went into those woods. And…and I can't understand why you and Pen couldn't get the information about Blair sooner. I am so mad I am blaming everyone for something." She refuses to look at JJ. "And right now…I sort of feel like…like I can't trust any of you. I hate feeling this alone again but I can't stop the feeling."

JJ stares at her wife a minute. "Emily, if we could have figured it out sooner we would have. And if we- -"

"STOP!" Emily interrupts. "I know what you're going to say because I've said the same fucking thing to myself. Coming from your mouth isn't going to make me believe it right now."

JJ sighs. "Okay. So what does that mean for us? And for the team?"

Emily shrugs. "For the team? I'll be damned if I know."

JJ waits a moment then prods. "And for us?"

Emily just shrugs, unable to put her emotions into words. JJ's legs get weak. She sits down on the edge of the bed.

"Emily, I love you more than life itself. If I could have been there instead of you I would have been. If I could have found Blair sooner I would have. But I couldn't. His father had, essentially paid to have his arrests erased. They didn't show up until Garcia was able to focus her search and pull out the crap that only she can find. And I can't change what happened to you but I can promise to be right here to help you through all this if you just let me. Please, let me help you, baby."

Emily stares up at the ceiling, still refusing to look at her wife. "I don't think you can this time, Jen. I think…I _know_ I need to work through this on my own somehow."

"I see," JJ replies, hurt. "So why exactly are you here?"

Emily swallows. "Just came for clothes."

JJ slowly nods. "You son of a bitch. Fine. Heaven forbid you turn to me for help." JJ stands and heads towards the bathroom to get into her pajamas.

Emily starts after her but then stops. What the hell else could she say right now? Not a damn thing that wouldn't hurt. Instead she goes into her closet and swaps out the clothes in her go bag and even grabs a couple of suits for work.

"If I even go to work," she mumbles to herself.

Once packed, she steps out of her closet. JJ is in bed staring at the ceiling.

"I guess…I'll see you…soon," Emily says weakly.

"I'm telling the kids you're working. Don't forget Henry is with Will this week. Call them tomorrow, Em. Call them or it will be completely unforgivable," she threatens.

Emily nods. "Understood." She starts out the door then stops. "Jen, I do still love you. I just don't love me right now. And the trust issues I have are all about work, not about us. Fuck, I hope that made sense. I just need a couple days to…to get past it all."

"I love you, too, Emily. But I can't condone you running off like this. Don't expect me to forgive this anytime soon," she warns.

"I won't. See you, Jen."

JJ just nods. Emily studies her a second longer then leaves.


	3. Chapter 3

At 10:01 the next day Emily suddenly rushes into the conference room. Everyone is surprised to see her.

"Sorry I'm late," she mumbles as she takes a seat…but not the one she normally takes between JJ and Morgan.

"Uh, no problem. We were just getting going," Hotch states.

Emily studiously avoids looking at anyone and the tension in the room is thick enough to cut with a knife. Hotch just looks down at his paper to get things rolling. He picks up a folder and shakes it.

"Okay, first up, I've been notified that the Secret Service is putting together a joint task force to investigate what they consider a viable threat against the Houses of Congress."

"So that's what that ridiculous Hogan's Alley drill was about?" Rossi surmises.

Hotch nods. "Yes. I know it's a fireball's chance in Hell but they would like one of us to volunteer to join the- -"

"I'll do it," Emily says interrupts.

All eyes turn to her. She still doesn't look at anyone, just holds out her hand for the folder Hotch still holds in his hand.

"You what?" the chief asks.

"If one of us doesn't volunteer they will just make one of us do it. I've done a task force before so I'll do this one," she explains.

Rossi leans onto the table. "That last task force nearly killed you, Emily. More than once."

"So? This team has nearly killed me more than once. It's just the job, Rossi."

JJ frowns. "Emily, that's not right to say."

"Why not? You know, I didn't mention the two times Hotch nearly got me raped. Because there's those, too."

Hotch sits back as if pushed. "Emily…I never…what did…"

Emily finally looks at him. "Where the hell was my security in Long Island? You had a guard for Victor but not me. And we know how that worked out, don't we? Do I need to describe in detail what that fucking bastard did to me?" Tears of fury and shame rain down her cheeks. "Do you want to know every fucking place he touched me? Do you want to know what he promised to do to me? Want to know how he got hard just imagining it? And then this fucker in the woods! Should I tell you about feeling his hard dick on my stomach while he sat on me? And how helpless I felt as he started to fucking cut the clothes from my body? What do you need to know, Aaron, to know why I want the hell out of this unit for a little while?"

Brown eyes are locked together. One set is filled with anger; the other with remorse. Hotch slowly hands her the folder.

"Report to D.C. this afternoon."

Emily just nods and places the file in front of her. She is shaking and clamps her hands together to try to regain control of her emotions. Hotch slowly looks over at Garcia.

"Distribute new cases. Split up the ones for Prentiss among the others."

Garcia nods. "Yes, sir," she says nervously.

Hotch gets up, grabs his things and leaves the room. As soon as he is gone, all eyes go back to Emily.

"Emily…that wasn't fair," JJ says softly, trying not to disturb her wife anymore than she already is.

"Yeah, well, life isn't fair." She stands. "Guess I don't need to be around for this."

She takes her things and leaves the room. All remaining eyes turn to JJ, who looks to be in shock.

"I can talk to her, Jayje," Morgan offers.

"Uh, no offense, Derek, but she's pissed at you, too. She's pissed at all of us but you and Hotch are at the top of her shit list."

"Want me to try?" Garcia asks.

JJ shakes her head. "She's got to work through this on her own. Guys, I'm going to tell you something she never told you. The brand…from Doyle…he…shit…he didn't make his men get tattoos or brands to show loyalty. They were signs of possession. The brand on Emily was to remind his men who she belonged to…while they had their way with her."

Morgan leans forward. "You mean that bastard was setting her up to be raped?"

JJ nods. "Yes. Add in a couple close calls while she was Lauren Reynolds, that time in Denver when she was pregnant, and then what's happened now and in Long Island I think she's having a breakdown from all of it. She blames us for the last couple of times. She doesn't trust us right now and until she gets past the anger, the fear and the resentment she can't start to heal."

"Please tell me she's at least seeing your shrink?"

JJ shrugs. "Went to see her yesterday but got mad and stormed out. I can only pray she goes back."

"Where is she living?" Reid asks.

"I have no idea," JJ admits. "Probably a hotel, I guess."

"What about Rocky and Henry?" Garcia asks.

"I made her promise to call them regardless of how she feels about me. I trust her to keep that promise." She shakes her head and looks at Garcia. "I can't talk about this anymore. If you guys want to go ahead. Pen, just give me my cases so I can get to work."

Garcia quickly hands over the files she had flagged as JJ's as well as one from Emily's pile. JJ takes them and leaves. She sees her wife sitting at her desk, staring at the electronic picture frame on it. JJ glances up at the chief's office and sees him at his desk staring into space. JJ shakes her head. She goes to her own desk and drops the files off. She then walks over to Emily.

"Good luck with the task force."

Emily slowly looks up at her. "You're not pissed at me?"

"A little. Mostly for the way you treated Hotch and the rest of us but not for accepting the task force assignment. Maybe it's what you need to get your head back on right."

"My head is fine," Emily snaps. She stands. "I need to go drop off a couple things then I'm heading to D.C. May as well get started."

"Emily…" JJ says. Emily pauses. Finally JJ just shakes her head. "Never mind. Talk to you later."

Emily just nods and goes to turn in her expense report for the Winslow case as well as her case report. She'd finished both the night before at the hotel she is staying in…temporarily? When she returns to her desk she packs up her briefcase. She notices Hotch's office is dark and the rest of the team, minus JJ, is still in the conference room. She looks over her desk and reaches for the electronic picture frame. She lifts it up, watching as pictures of her wife and children morph across the screen. She finally turns it off and slides it into her briefcase, grabbing the charger cord for it. Satisfied she has all she needs she chances a glance towards her wife. JJ is staring at a folder on the desk but Emily knows she's not really reading it. She approaches the blonde profiler's desk

"I'll…call them both tonight before the kids are in bed, Jen. Promise."

JJ slowly looks up. "Okay. Can you at least tell me where you're staying?"

"The Ritz."

"Ah, of course."

Emily frowns. "What does that mean?"

JJ smiles and it's actually genuine. "Just should have guessed you wouldn't be at an hourly rate place, you know?"

Emily gives her a small smile. "Yeah. I, uh, called Westfallen this morning. I'm giving her another shot. What you said last night…I heard it. I just want you to know that."

"I'm glad." She stands and stares into her wife's eyes. "Anytime, Emily: Promise me you will call me anytime you need me."

Emily nods. "I promise. I love you, Jen."

"I love you, too."

Emily looks like she wants to say something more but doesn't. She walks back to her desk and grabs her briefcase. With a last glance around the room she walks out of the BAU…

…perhaps forever.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I love you guys! The ones who just read, the ones that just follow, and the ones that take the time to review. You all make me smile. I really love to see the thoughts you all have about the characters. It thrills me that you all are so invested in this AU and get angry, sad, offended, furious with the things I do to them. Someone recently responded to #37 and was less than flattering. I snarked back a little but shouldn't have. I know my stories aren't for everyone but for those of you hanging along on this crazy ride please know I appreciate each and every one of you. **

**Y'all rock harder than Garcia!**  
**-AR**

* * *

Emily stands as Dr. Westfallen opens the door of the inner office. The doctor studies her patient, glad to see some of the life back in Emily's eyes.

"I'm glad you called me, Emily. To say I was worried about you would be an understatement."

Emily manages a grin. "Considering the way I treated you I'm lucky you didn't just ignore my message."

Westfallen smiles and gestures to her office. "Come in. Emily, if I had a dollar for every time I pissed off a client I'd have retired years ago."

"I bet," Emily says as she sits down. She starts to clench her hands together. "I…I had some time to think about what you said…about me volunteering to be out there alone and you're right: I did. But I can't help but feel angry that the only reason I was put in the position to be alone were bad decisions by Hotch and Morgan."

"I agree with you on that," Westfallen nods. "But tell me this, Emily, if nothing had happened, would you have been as angry at your boss and your best friend?"

Emily sits back on the couch. She shakes her head. "No."

"But something did happen. Tell me: when the man had you, did you trust your friends would get you out of there?"

Emily thinks a moment. "No," she answers softly. "They didn't know where I was. They were so far away. And they didn't get me out, Doc. Oscar Underias got me out of that shit. My team would have arrived too late."

"You don't suffer disappointment well, do you?"

"No," Emily admits. She thinks a second and chuckles. "And considering how many times my parents disappointed me when I was a kid that's kind of weird."

"Not really. You came to expect your parents to screw up. But this team…this is new where they are concerned. They've let you down once and now you know it can happen again."

"Not just once. In Long Island they had surrendered their guns and had nothing to even pretend to bargain with. If Rossi hadn't acted on his own…" she trails off, not needing to go into detail. "Hotch, Morgan…and even Jen left my ass hanging out in the wind. Just like Easter did. And now it's happened again. Shit, Doc, I just can't trust them right now. What if I never do again?"

"Is that a possibility?"

Emily runs a hand through her hair. "You said I don't suffer disappointment well. It's harder to earn my trust; even harder to gain that trust back. Clyde lost it early and never got it back; never even tried. After the way I acted this morning, the team may not try either."

"Does that make you angry? The thought they wouldn't try?"

Emily sighs. "I really don't know. All in all, I just feel…feel…adrift. And what's worse: I'm not sure I want to get back to shore. At least…not that shore."

"So what does this mean for your job?"

Emily blushes. "I, uh, am joining a short-term task force with the Secret Service."

Westfallen had thought she couldn't be shocked by Emily. She was wrong. "Allow me to say that concerns me, Emily. We've talked about your mistrust of a hastily put together teams. How can you go into something considering what happened last time and the misgivings you still have?"

Emily shrugs. "It was part of my tantrum at the office this morning. I was a royal shit to Hotch. Regardless of how I feel right now I regret what I said to him. I should have talked to him, confronted him even, but in private. Instead he brought this task force up and it's like I heard someone else speaking with my voice volunteering to do it." She sighs. "I feel like I'm running away from home."

"Are you going to go through with the task force?"

Emily shrugs. "I'll report to it today. I guess I won't know until I really know what it's about. The orders were pretty vague."

"What's the gist of it?"

"The Secret Service and Homeland Security have credible information that a terrorist sleeper cell is planning an attack on Congress. My guess is we will investigate and eradicate the cell."

"Are you up for an undercover assignment if it calls for it?"

Emily smiles. "I'm too old to go undercover, Doc. I'll be in the background."

"Ah. You'll be a Clyde Easter."

Emily's eyes darken. "Hell no. I'll be a Sean McAllister. My team will be able to trust me to have their back."

"Are you sure?"

Emily nods. "It's probably the one damn thing I am sure of."

"I see. Tell me: how is Jennifer handling all this?"

Emily starts to twirl her ring. Westfallen watches as she spins it back and forth in place.

"She's…scared and pissed. But she told me whenever I need her to just call."

Westfallen raises an eyebrow. "Call? Emily, have you moved out?"

"Yes. No. Sort of. Shit. I'm staying at the Ritz. Mother has an account there."

"Since when?"

"I never went home yesterday. Well…I went long enough to get some clothes. But just a handful," she adds quickly. "Henry is with Will this week and Rocky…she…she just…"

"Don't say she won't miss you, Emily. You know better."

Tears well in the brunette's eyes. "Yeah…I do."

"So will you be home in time to greet Henry?"

"At this point…it's really up to Jen. I hurt her, Doc. I hurt her so badly. I never thought I could do that to her."

"That probably explains why she's asked to be squeezed in today."

Emily rubs her eyes. "Shit. If she…if you want…you can tell her anything we've talked about. She's my wife. She deserves some answers that I've been too much of a shit to give her."

Westfallen nods. "Thank you. That right there tells me a lot about your state of mind."

"Oh, yeah? What does it say?"

"That the Emily I know is still in there. Bruised, maybe. Maybe hiding while her heart heals but still in there. It's my opinion that you won't leave your family, Emily." She pauses. "You won't abandon them the way your father abandoned you."

The tears she had been fighting all session finally break free. "Shit…I'm not so sure."

"I am sure, Emily."

Westfallen moves to the couch so she can hold her client while the agent has a much needed cry.


	5. Chapter 5

Emily takes the Metro into DC and walks to the headquarters of the Secret Service on Murray Avenue. As she walks she questions whether she should back out or not. As she stands looking up at the building she sighs.

_"Why risk the team having the same kind of helpless nightmares you have, Emily. Get your ass in there_," she orders herself. She never even registers that her first instinct was still to protect her BAU family.

After getting through security, she finds herself in a conference room with 4 other people. She takes the time to do preliminary profiles on each person. So far she can respect what she sees. One of the agents walks over and extends his hand.

"SSA Prentiss, good to see you again."

She nods as she shakes it. "Yes. I'm sorry, have we met?"

He smiles. "No, ma'am. You spoke to my class at the CIA academy a few years ago. I have to say you were one of the only guest speakers that didn't put me to sleep."

Emily chuckles. "Thanks, I think."

"Timothy Noth. I'm a language specialist, much like you are though I haven't mastered as many as you."

Emily nods. "Excellent."

He gestures to the others in the room. "The rest are from the Secret Service. Natalie Brent, Ken Farrelli, and Leroy Allen."

Emily nods her hello to each one. "So, how long have you all been working this? You seem too comfortable for this to be your first day."

Natalie steps towards her. "Tim and I have been working together the better part of a month. Ken and Leroy started with us last week while you were on a case out west somewhere."

Emily nods. "Ah, okay. So I'm playing catch up today."

Natalie nods. "Yes. But from what I've read it shouldn't take you long to catch up. I'll be blunt with you, Agent Prentiss: your background with JTF-12 is impressive and I'm damn glad you're here. I hope you'll want to take the reins and run this op."

"Uh, let's not get too far ahead of things. I don't even know what the op is. The one-pager I was given was a study in how to say nothing in a 100 words or less."

Natalie chuckles. "Well said."

"So, no offense, but who's the mastermind behind this TF? I know it's not any of you all in here since you're young enough to be my…uh…well, I could be your aunt, let's say."

Leroy laughs. "Well put, Agent Prentiss. Here comes the man with the plan now."

Emily turns and her mouth drops open. The man walking in seems equally shocked.

"Emily…I…I didn't think it would be you…"

Emily shrugs. "Kind of surprised myself, Harlan."

Natalie raises an eyebrow. "You two know each other?"

"Harlan Wayans was the man that recruited me out the Chicago FBI office for my time at Interpol. Always said if I ever ran into you again I'd knock your lights out."

Harlan grins. "Going to follow through on that?"

Emily smiles. "Nah, I'm a kindler, gentler agent now. But you'll buy my dinner next time we go out."

He nods. "Deal. And, Emily, damn fine job taking Doyle down. Twice."

Emily shrugs. "I took him down once. My team took him down the second time."

"Well, either way he's done. We have other assholes to track down now. Ready for the run down to see if you're sure you want in?"

Emily nods. "Run it for me."

Harlan closes the door and everyone sits down at the table. Within 10 minutes Emily knows she's going to stay on the team if only to make sure these fine agents from the two agencies have someone they can count on covering their asses.

* * *

JJ has just crawled into bed to watch some TV when her phone rings. She smiles when she recognizes Emily's tone.

"Hi," she answers.

"Hi, Jen. I, uh, hope it's okay I called."

"Of course it is."

"Good. Good. Right. Uh, I called the kids. Both of them."

JJ chuckles. "I know. Henry explained how you told him Spiderman is tougher than Batman."

"It's true. Both in the comics and in our house. You've always been stronger than me, Jen, in so many ways."

"Thank you."

"How are your nesters?" Emily winces as she realizes how that sounds and quickly covers. "You taking care of our next Lima Bean."

JJ smiles. "Doing my best. So far no clue what's going on in there."

"Oh. Well, I hope…I hope they are okay."

"Me, too. So, uh, staying at the task force?"

Emily sighs. "Yeah, I am. It's not a long-term one like I was on. Maybe just a couple of weeks. A month tops. They know the players we're taking down we just have to set up the final sting and try to get as much information on their overseas connections as we can get. Then we pass it off to the CIA and our international allies to do their thing."

"What's your role?"

"It's the one I was hoping for. I'll be guiding them, teaching them, and coordinating their back-up. Someone I trust is running the task force. If all goes well and no shit hits the fan, we should be able to wrap it up with little to no problems."

"And if shit hits the fan?"

Emily sighs. "The stakes are too high. We can't let it go to shit." Emily pauses. "So, uh, did you get to see Westfallen today? She mentioned you called for an appointment."

"Yes, I saw her. She told me…thank you for telling her she could tell me things, Emily."

"I was such a damn fool to run from you, Jen. If I can't open my own damn mouth at least she can open it for me. So, um, how was work after I left?"

"Tense. Hotch took the day. Rossi talked to him but I didn't press for details. Reid is pissed at you. Morgan feels guilty about everything that happened. Garcia doesn't even know what to do about the whole thing but I will warn you she's pissed at you, too. And me…I wondered…if watching you walk away…would I ever see you walking back in the door."

Emily pinches the bridge of her nose. "I fucked things up royally. With everyone. I still have issues with Hotch and Morgan but I need to deal with those in an adult, professional manner. But honestly, Jen, I don't think I'm ready to yet. I'll try to smooth things over with Reid, Rossi and Garcia next weekend."

"And what about me? About us? Will you be here when Henry gets home? Or do we have to continue to tell him you're out chasing bad guys?"

"I want to be home, Jen. I want…want to heal things with you above all others. The next few days I'll probably be working late. But, well, I was hoping maybe Friday I could take you to dinner and a movie?"

JJ can't help but smile. "Are you asking me on a date, Emily Prentiss?"

"I'm begging for one, actually. I can never apologize enough for the way I treated you last night. I was such an asshole. That fucking 'just came for clothes comment' was bullshit. I don't know if I meant to hurt you or if I just did and then couldn't fix it. But I am so, so sorry I dismissed you that way."

JJ bites her finger a minute. Finally she sighs. "Eventually I'll forgive you for it, Emily, on one condition."

"Name it."

"That you swear to me you will never, ever, EVER disconnect from me that way again. I can't turn my emotions off the way you can. And damn it, Emily, you hurt me so fucking badly last night I nearly took my rings off."

Emily whimpers, not having realized just how badly she hurt her wife. "Oh, God, Jen. I didn't…shit…I'll earn your forgiveness, Jen. I swear I will."

"I guess time will tell," JJ concedes. "I love you, Emily. Stop testing that love or one day it won't be enough to fix us."

"I understand. I swear I understand. I love you, too, Jen." She takes a shuddering breath. "So, um, Friday?"

"If we don't have a case, it's a date."

"Thank you, Jen."

"Thank you for asking, Emily."

Emily sighs. "I don't want to hang up but we have a briefing at 0600 tomorrow with a London contact."

"Yuck. Thank you for calling me, baby. If things get…hinky with the task force you can call me. I'm here for you, Em."

"I know, Jen. Thank you. Te amo, Jen."

"Now and always, Emily," JJ responds. "Goodnight, baby."

"Goodnight."

JJ disconnects the call. She stares at the background photo: Emily making faces at a cackling Rocky.

"Please, God, put that spark back in her eyes again. Please."

In her hotel room at the Ritz, Emily stares at the electronic picture frame scrolling through images of her wife and children.

"Please, God, don't let me lose them. Help me find my way back to them. Please."

She lies in bed staring at the ceiling. Just like the night before her mind won't shut down. Just like the night before she gets up and goes out to the stocked bar in the suite. The bottle of whiskey she had downed the night before had been replaced. She grabs the new bottle and a clean glass.

Two hours later she passes out. Maybe not as good as sleep but at least her mind is too obliterated to scroll through the images haunting her.


	6. Chapter 6

Emily has just returned to the office she is using while on the task force to check email when her cell phone starts to ring. She groans. She had been hoping to avoid this. She steps to her office door and closes it.

"Hello, Mother."

"Emily Elizabeth Prentiss, tell me Jeremy is wrong and your wife and children are staying with you in my suite at the Ritz. Tell me your house is being fumigated. Or at least tell me there is a DAMN good reason you have walked out on your wife and children and your POSSIBLE child!"

Emily sighs. Her hangover headache had been fading. Now it was ramping up again.

"Mother, I have to go. We have a conference call and- -"

"You just finished it! I was notified when it ended. What the HELL is going on with you, Emily?"

Emily sighs. "Mother, I…I was…I am…you know what? Fuck you. I'm an adult. I don't answer to you."

Emily hangs up. Her mother immediately calls back and Emily just sends it to voicemail. After the fifth time Elizabeth calls, Emily hits a couple keys and blocks the number. Yes, there will be hell to pay later but she just doesn't need this shit right now.

* * *

Thursday morning what's left of the team gathers in the conference room. Garcia flicks on the screen.

"St Louis, MO. A series of home invasions have turned violent."

"Gee, haven't heard that one before," JJ mutters, her lack of sleep showing.

Garcia just flicks a glance to her and goes back to her recitation. "Survivors have said there are four men. It started with just menacing and stealing. Escalated to minor beatings and threats. And this last one including the man getting badly beaten and the wife getting raped and sodomized. So far everyone has been left alive but police fear the next step is killing."

"And not just any killing. It will be a torturous death," Morgan points out. "They'll be made to suffer before they die."

Hotch nods. "And the media has figured that out." He looks at JJ. "Would you mind stepping into the liaison shoes for this? You know what to do and what to say to try to calm the panic they are spreading."

JJ unconsciously rubs her stomach. "Yes, I'll do that. I'll work on the first press release on the plane."

Hotch nods. "Good." He stands. "Wheels up in 30."

The team starts to get their things together. Garcia walks over to JJ.

"Uh, Jayje? What about Rocky?"

JJ sighs. "I…I don't know. I need to make a call."

"If you need me to I can stay at Chateau Prentiss for you."

JJ smiles. "Thanks, Pen. Let me…I just…give me some privacy?"

Garcia nods. "Anything you need."

Garcia leaves, closing the door behind herself. JJ pulls out her cell phone and sits back down. It rings once before it's answered by a tense sounding Emily.

"Jen? What's wrong? The nesters?"

JJ smiles at the concern in her wife's voice. "They are okay as far as I know. But we're leaving for St Louis."

"Oh." There is a pause. "Jen, I…I want to come home. But I didn't want it like this. I didn't want it forced on you."

"Emily…I want you to be there for our daughter. As to us…we'll work on it when I get back."

"Okay. So, uh, good luck in St. Louis. Hope you all catch the unsub quickly and safely."

"It's a quartet of bastards this time, actually. And I hope we do, too. I'm actually going to wrangle the media this time. Partly because Hotch knows I need to take it easy and partly because he doesn't want to."

Emily chuckles. "Yeah, I can see that." She takes a deep breath. "I won't let you down, Jen. I promise."

"I'm counting on that, Emily. I'll see you when we get back."

"Okay. I…I love you, Jen."

"I love you, too."

JJ hangs up and goes to her desk to gather her things. Garcia is waiting for her. JJ smiles.

"Emily will be there for Rocky."

Garcia sighs in relief. "Good. And, uh, what about you two?"

"A work in progress," JJ admits. JJ stares at her desk a moment then meets her best friend's eyes. "Emily is scared of something. I'm not sure what and I'm not sure if she knows, either. I pray that Westfallen can help her unlock whatever it is. And when she does, the fallout will probably be shattering. But I will be there to help her put the pieces back together if she'll let me."

"If you're sure."

"Very sure," JJ insists. "I do love her, Pen. I may not love what she's doing right now by running away but I love her and I understand why she runs. So, when she's ready to run back to me, I'll be waiting."

"And you'll forgive her?"

"Eventually. Trust me, there will be hell to pay but if she's really changed and really remorseful, yes, I will forgive her."

"You're better than me, Jayje. I am so mad at her right now I don't even know what to think. I'm not sure I will be as quick to forgive. Or if I ever will."

JJ smiles. "Just do what's right for you, Penelope. You'll know what that is when the time comes." JJ swings her go bag up onto her shoulder and grabs her briefcase.

"Right. Well, take care of you and the nesters."

"I will. Talk to you later. Love you, Pen."

"Love you, too, Jayje."

* * *

It is just before 6 when Emily parks her Lexus in the garage at Chateau Prentiss. She knows Rocky will be happy to see her. Francesca…she's not so sure about. She makes her way into the kitchen where she can hear the nanny feeding the little girl. Emily watches for a moment from the doorway, drinking in the sight of her daughter. Finally she steps into the kitchen.

"Hi, Sweet Girl," she says with a smile.

Rocky gives the squeal that has always been reserved for her mama. "LOVE! MAMA! LOVE!"

Emily fights the tears that well in her eyes. "I love you, too, Rock."

She leans over and gives her daughter a kiss, getting one in return. She breathes deeply, smelling the unique scent of her daughter…mixed with stewed carrots. As she stands back up she looks at Francesca. The anger and, worse, disappointment in the woman's eyes almost breaks Emily. Emily takes a deep breath.

"VI spiegherò. Promessa."

"Sì, è possibile spiegare," Francesca replies disapprovingly. "Now, go get changed so you can spend time with Rocky."

"Yes, ma'am," Emily agrees.

Emily climbs the stairs out of the kitchen and walks into her bedroom. It's hard to believe it's just been a few nights since she was a complete and utter asshole to her wife. She quickly changes into a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. When she walks into the bathroom to grab a rubber band for her hair she runs her hand over the flannel sleep pants Jen had obviously worn.

"You're such a fucking fool and coward, Emily," she chastises herself.

She pulls her hair into a ponytail and goes downstairs to make up for lost time with Rocky. Francesca looks at her as she walks in.

"Have you spoken with Henry?"

"Yes, ma'am," Emily answers. "I called him on the way home."

"Good. Take your time with Rocky. I will clean up in here. After she is in bed, we will talk, yes?"

Emily nods. "Yes. Thank you." Emily sits down to help Rocky eat some pudding. She smiles as the little girl reaches for the bowl. "That pudding looks good, Rock. Can I have a bite."

"NO!" the little girl says with a grin, reaching for the spoon.

Emily chuckles. "I don't blame you. I wouldn't share, either."

When Rocky is done, Emily carries her upstairs to clean her up and change her into her pajamas. After that they lay on the floor in the nursery playing with an activity center. As Rocky starts to yawn, Emily lifts her up and goes to the rocking chair. As she sits down, Rocky snuggles into her mama's arms and reaches for her mother's lip. Emily smiles and kisses the hand.

"Just like your brother you prefer the real thing to the CD. I hope I'm always around to sing it to you, Roxanne."

Emily starts to sing the lullaby. Tears fill her eyes as Rocky slowly relaxes but her blue eyes, so much like JJ's, stay locked on her mother's face. When Emily reaches the end of the song, Rocky reaches up again. Emily obliges her and sings another song. By the end of this one, Rocky is asleep. Emily sings 2 more anyway. She then just sits there, rocking her daughter and thinking.

_"What are you doing, Emily? Why are you running from this again? You love your wife, you love your kids, you love this life. What happened to make you just…just shit it all away? No…no you haven't destroyed it yet. You can make this right. You just have to recognize what's going on inside you. What is making you so damn angry that running is the only answer? What the hell is going on in your fucking compartmentalized mind?"_

Her self-reflection lasts for another 15 minutes before she finally stands and kisses Rocky once more.

"Goodnight, Sweet Girl."

She lays Rocky down and goes downstairs to face the music with Francesca. As she steps into the kitchen, Francesca turns from putting the last dishes away and glares at the agent.

"Have you eaten?"

"No, ma'am," Emily answers.

"Sit. Talk. I'll make you dinner."

Emily goes to one of the stools at the island as Francesca pulls some leftovers out to make up a plate. Emily takes a deep breath.

"Do you…know what happened in Arkansas?"

"Si. Jennifer told me."

"Something in me has…snapped, Francesca. Inside I am so angry I can't hardly contain it. The smallest things set me off. I can't sleep. I can't eat. I can't…function as an FBI agent."

"So you run away to some task force?"

Emily nods. "Yes. Until I face what's in me I can't face Jen or the team."

"Then what is it, Emily? What is tearing you up inside?"

Emily shrugs. "That's the problem. I just don't know. Hell, I even snapped at Dr. Westfallen."

"Did she say she will not see you anymore?"

"No. She forgave me at my next appointment."

Francesca smiles. "I had thought she would not be scared off so easily."

Emily sighs as she picks at the food the nanny had placed in front of her. "What if…if I can't fix myself? What if Doc just can't help me figure out what's cracked in my head? Will I lose everything that means something to me?"

Francesca stares into Emily's eyes. She suddenly sees the terror behind the walls the brunette had erected. She reaches over and squeezes Emily's hand.

"You will only lose if you give up, cara. And I have never, ever known you to give up. You will beat this, Emily. You will persevere."

Emily gives her a sad smile. "Grazie, Francesca. Ti amo."

Francesca walks around the counter and gives Emily a kiss on the forehead. "Ti amo, cara. Now, eat your dinner. What time do you need me here tomorrow?"

"I'll need to leave by 6:30."

"Then I will be here at 6:15. Goodnight, cara."

"Goodnight, Francesca."

After the nanny leaves Emily forces herself to eat the food in front of her. Finally done she starts to wander the ground floor of the house. In the activity room her eyes fall on the liquor cabinet. She walks over to it and stares at the bottles inside. She swallows.

"Maybe…I'll just have it ready in case…" she justifies as she retrieves the key and opens the door.

She reaches in and takes out a bottle of Scotch and a glass. With a sigh she relocks the cabinet and goes into the living room. She pours out two fingers and sets both bottle and glass on the coffee table. She is still staring at it 15 minutes later when the doorbell rings. She frowns and looks at her watch.

"Who the hell is here at 9:00 at night?"

She walks to the front door and peers out to see…a VERY pissed off Penelope Garcia. She turns off the house alarm and opens the door. Garcia blows by her in a riot of colours.

"EMILY ELIZABETH PRENTISS I AM SO PISSED AT YOU I BARELY KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN!"

Emily sighs and shuts the front door, locking it and resetting the alarm. Garcia spins around in the foyer.

"How DARE you speak to Hotch and the team the way you did! And DOUBLE how DARE you leave JJ when she is trying to get pregnant with your next child! How the hell does she not stress and give the nesters a chance if she's worried that you're going to leave her? HOW? And, yes, maybe there were bad decisions made in Arkansas and maybe even in Long Island but, damn it, Emily, those people love you and care for you! Nothing that happened to you was part of some fucking plot to destroy you! And in case you are wondering, every case we have, every time someone is hurt or killed before I find information in cyberspace that helps it hurts me. When I can't find something in time to keep one of you guys from being hurt it nearly destroys me! How DARE you think I could have figured out quicker who the unsub was! How fucking DARE you!" She takes a deep breath. "And then you disable your phones, disable your car to hide from us. Do you know how fucking scary and irresponsible and just…just…STUPID that was? DO YOU?"

Emily nods and answers weakly. "Yes."

"Then tell me, Emily, what the fuck do I do with you? Do I beat you back to your senses or do I walk out of here and never speak to you again?"

Garcia's face is red from exertion and fury. Her pulse is jumping in her temple and her whole body is tense as if ready for a fight.

Emily, on the other hand, just crumbles. "I don't know."

She bursts into tears and leans back against the door. Garcia, though still mad, can't stand to see her friend like this.

"Shit. Come here."

She pulls Emily into a hug and holds her for a couple of minutes. The analyst then turns enough to guide Emily into the living room. She sees the alcohol on the coffee table as she sits down on the couch with Emily. She raises Emily's face and stares into broken eyes.

"Talk to me, Emily," she encourages softly.

"I…I don't know…"

"Nothing you can say will hurt me. It will hurt me more if you don't even try," Garcia presses.

Emily pulls away, wiping the moisture off her face as she tries to gather herself.

"I'm so fucking fractured inside, Pen," Emily finally says. "Every time I close my eyes I see Ridgeley or Blair. Sometimes both. I can't…can't not see them or feel their…" she shakes her head. "And then I get mad at Hotch and Morgan all over again. And when I get mad at them you, Jen, Reid and Rossi aren't far behind. I keep finding something to blame each of you for."

"Then why not confront each of us? Why not give us a chance to apologize or defend ourselves?"

Emily shrugs. "I don't know. No, that's not true. Pen, I don't trust you all right now. I hate that so much but it's there."

"Even…even Jayje?"

"Yeah, even Jen."

"Oh, Emily."

Garcia thinks a minute. Her time volunteering with a survivors group has given her insight into people's mental states. Her powers of observation are keen, too. She glances at the Scotch.

"Em, have you been drinking tonight?"

"Not tonight."

"But other nights?"

Just when Garcia thinks Emily isn't going to answer, she does. "Only way I can sleep is to pass out. But I can't do that tonight. Tonight I have to keep my wits about me for Rocky. But without the alcohol they'll come back to me."

"Who will?"

"The monsters," she answers softly. "Ridgeley, Blair, and some of Doyle's men. I know Jen told you all about the brand. Doyle's right hand, Liam…he would have…he'd have been as bad as Blair. Maybe almost as bad as Ridgeley if he'd gotten a chance at me. I see those faces unless I get so plowed I don't even remember lying down to sleep. I may never sleep again, Pen."

Garcia studies her friend. It suddenly dawns on her what has Emily so messed up. The strong woman is faced with a reality she can't accept. Garcia takes both of Emily's hands in her own.

"Emily, you are a victim."

Emily frowns. "What?"

"All these years you stood for the men and women and children who were victims. Now you are one of them. Emily, you were sexually assaulted. Twice."

Emily starts to shake her head. "N- -no. I'm not…I was just…no…they didn't rape me."

"But they tried. Ridgeley molested you and told you what he planned to do. Blair sat on you, made you feel his hard penis on your stomach, started to strip you. Neither completed the act but if you were reading those reports about another woman what would you say she was?"

Emily is still shaking her head. "No. No. NO! I'm not a victim! I'm a God damned Federal Agent not a fucking victim!"

Garcia shakes Emily's hands gently. "Emily, now you are both."

Emily is staring into Garcia's eyes. She sees compassion and honesty in them. She tries out the statement in her head.

"_I am a victim."_

She nearly throws up when she realizes it's true. She bursts into hard, sobbing tears. Garcia pulls her close, her heart breaking for her friend. Emily doesn't need anger or recrimination now. She just needs love and support.

"I've got you, Em. I'm here for you. I swear I am. We all are. You'll make this right with us once you fix yourself. I know you will. We love you, Em. That hasn't changed I swear. We love you so much."

Over the years Emily had shed tears for victims and survivors of the many cases she had been part of. She had cried for the Jareau's when the scabs over the death of Amy had been ripped open for no reason. She had cried for Hotch, Hailey and Jack. She had even cried for Henry when he started to realize how hard it was to have his Daddy living so far away. A few times she had even cried a few tears for herself when she related to victims or when she was suspended for no good reason. But this time…this time…

…she just cries for herself.

For the horrible experiences that had happened recently and in the past. She cries and sobs, wishing the tears would wash away the memories. But they don't. Instead when she finally stops crying 30 minutes later she just feels lighter emotionally than she has ever felt in her life. Garcia wipes away the last of the tears.

"Are you okay, Em?"

Emily nods a little. "I'm better. I'm…I'm a…a victim, Pen."

"You're more than that, Emily. You're a survivor. And that's important to remember," Garcia points out.

"A survivor. An angry survivor."

"Good. You need to be angry to survive. You need to be angry to deal with everything this means. And I warn you, it won't be easy. You have a long road to walk." Garcia frames Emily's face with her hands. "But you listen to me and you listen good, Emily Prentiss: you do NOT walk that road alone. I will be right there with you. So will Jen and Morgan and the whole team. You will make your amends and we will walk with you down the road you have to travel. Understand?"

Emily manages a small smile. "I understand." She takes a breath. "Pen…I'm scared. So very scared."

"I know." She points at the Scotch. "That doesn't make the fear go away. It just dulls it and makes it come back even stronger the next time. Love is what conquers fear." She stands and pulls Emily up. "Come on: let's put this away and go to bed. I know I'm not JJ but I plan to hold you tonight. And if those nightmares come back, and to be honest, honey, they probably will, I will be there to remind you that they are just dreams and that you are safe."

Emily smiles at the vibrant woman. "I don't deserve this, Pen."

Garcia grins. "I know. You can buy me something pretty."

Emily pulls her into a hug. "Count on it."

Together they get the alcohol locked away and go up to the master bedroom. That's the first time Emily notices Garcia had brought her go bag. She can't help but smile.

"Pen, what if I had been a shit and didn't accept your intervention?"

Garcia smiles. "I have a key, Em. I only rang the bell so I could blow past you all blustery so you knew how pissed I was. If you'd tried to lock me out you don't even want to know what I would have done to you to get revenge."

Emily nods. "Yeah, I can believe that. Thanks for being blustery, Pen."

"Anytime, Em. Anytime."

That night Emily sleeps without the aid of alcohol…and the nightmares leave her alone for the night.

* * *

**Transation per Babylon Translator:**

*** I will explain. Promise.**

**** Yes, you will explain.**


	7. Chapter 7

Saturday morning Emily is in the living room making notes on some of the intercepted messages her new task force has come to possess. Somewhere in these rambling messages is the plan that is to be carried out against the Houses of Congress. More than once Emily has wished Reid was there to help her decipher these letters.

"I never quite realized just how well we work together," she mumbles to herself.

She stretches her neck, taking the brief break to glance over at Rocky, who had fallen asleep while playing with her barnyard activity center. Emily smiles as she remembers JJ lying on the floor of the playroom, acting out the sounds as the little girl had giggled. When she had spoken to her wife the night before she could hear how tired JJ was. And Emily knew it was from more than the case. She sighs, hating what she's putting her wife and loved ones through but knowing she has a ways to go before she can make her amends with them.

She has just turned her attention back to the papers in front of her when the doorbell rings, immediately followed up by an intense pounding. She shoves the classified papers in her briefcase and tucks it between the couch and the end table. She hurries to the door as the pounding starts again, hoping it doesn't wake Rocky. She rips the door open.

"WHAT?" She yells then stands mouth agape when she realizes who is visiting her.

"Close your mouth, Emily," Elizabeth Prentiss says as she brushes past her daughter into the house.

It still takes a moment for Emily to recover. She finally closes the door and follows her mother to the living room. Elizabeth is squatting down, running her hand over her sleeping granddaughter. She smiles as Rocky coos in her sleep.

"Does she always do that?" the elder Prentiss asks.

"Yes," Emily says with a proud smile. "Since she was a baby. She's our little love bug."

Elizabeth slowly stands and turns to her daughter. "Ours?" she questions.

Emily sits on the arm of the couch, her arms crossed in front of her. "Yes, ours. Mine and Jen's."

"Have you two made up?"

Emily looks away. "I…we have…we're…I'm working on it."

"How can you be working on it when you're only here since she's away? I know you haven't released the suite," she responds accusingly.

Emily nearly yells but manages to catch herself when her eyes catch a glimpse of Rocky on the floor. She takes a steadying breath.

"Mother. Kitchen. Now."

She storms out, the rage that had been stilling within her starting to boil once more. Why the hell doesn't her mother just butt the fuck out? In the kitchen, Emily turns to her mother.

"Mother, I know you get reports from somebody at the FBI. But I swear you have no fucking clue what really went down this last case or in Long Island. So just back off with the disapproval. I don't need the snide comments. I don't need the condescension. And I sure as fuck don't need your fucking disapproval. You don't know what the hell is going on so just fucking drop it," she says bitterly.

Elizabeth is beyond shocked. Often she and Emily had butted heads. But never before had her daughter spoken to her with such fury in her voice and such hatred in her eyes. Elizabeth takes an uneasy step back, wondering for a moment if Emily might hit her.

"Honey…talk to me. What is going on? What has you so…so hurt inside?" she says with uncharacteristic motherly concern.

Tears of anger, shame and fear well in Emily's eyes. "Back. Off. Mother. Just drop it."

"No! There was a time I might have dropped it. There was a time I might have just walked away and pretended not to care. I like to think I have changed since then." She steps towards her daughter. "And there was a time you'd run from me; hide when you could have used my help. I'd like to think you have changed, too. Please, Emily, let me in. Maybe I can help you if you let me."

Emily is shaking, the walls she is trying to construct starting to fracture. "What if…if you can't?" she whispers weakly. "What if…if you try and you can't? Then what the fuck do I have left, Mother? I can't lose you, too."

"Too? Honey, you have not lost Jennifer."

"You don't know that."

"I _do_ know that," Elizabeth insists. "You have not lost her. You've just…just lost your way. I'm throwing you a lifeline, Emily. Take it. Please."

Emily is confused and scared. Elizabeth wants to pull her into a hug but knows it would most likely drive her daughter away. Just when it looks like Emily might open up the confrontation is interrupted.

"Mama!"

Emily pushes past her mother. "Coming, Rocky."

She hurries into the living room, thankful for her daughter waking up at that moment. She forces a smile to her face as the little girl meets her in the foyer.

"Hey, Sweet Girl. You're as impatient as me, aren't you," she says as she squats down and lifts her up.

She pulls her close, nuzzling Rocky's neck and making the girl giggle. Emily smiles, this time it is not forced. Regardless of what's going on in her head, the love she has for her children has not wavered.

"I love you, Rocky."

"Love Mama!"

Elizabeth watches from the kitchen doorway. She sees Emily's body calm just from this quick interaction with the little one. She steps closer.

"Hello, Roxanne."

Rocky gets excited and reaches for her grandmother. Emily smiles and passes her daughter to her mother. As Elizabeth smiles and talks to the little babbling girl Emily just studies them. She is again reminded of how much her mother gave up for her job. Could Emily inadvertently be walking that same path? How many times can you have close calls before one finally ends you, either mentally or physically? What happens if she builds up the walls so tall, so thick not even her children can get through?

Elizabeth is watching Rocky when from the corner of her eye she sees Emily turn away quickly. She glances over and sees Emily is shaking again.

"Emily?" No answer. "Emily, are you okay?"

Emily runs down the hall to the bathroom and loses her breakfast. Elizabeth follows slowly, not wanting Rocky to see her mother in that state.

"Emily, can I get you anything?"

"No," Emily answers, her voice quavering. "Just…take care of Rocky."

"I will. I promise. I'll take her into the playroom."

Once Emily hears them in there she stands and splashes some water on her face and rinses out her mouth. She looks at herself in the mirror, seeing the dark circles under her eyes and her drawn cheeks.

"No wonder Mother stopped the lecture. You look like death warmed over, Prentiss," she scolds herself softly.

She walks out of the bathroom and goes to the playroom. She watches the two brunettes playing for a moment. The ambassador finally looks up. Emily swallows and takes a chance.

"Maybe…when she naps…we can talk?" she asks nervously.

Elizabeth smiles and nods. "Perfect. Why don't you go lay down for a little while? You look like you need some sleep."

"I'll…I'll try. Thank you, Mother."

Emily goes up the bedroom and crawls into bed. She starts to scratch Sergio. The cat immediately starts to purr and twist around, making sure Emily hits all the right spots. Emily smiles at him.

"You sure have it easy, Serg. Just lie around all day, eat, find another spot to sleep in, eat some more. Not a worry in the world."

As if in response to that assessment, Alaska hops up on the bed. Sergio give a warning hiss, making sure the dog stays towards the foot of the bed. Emily chuckles.

"Okay, maybe one worry." She gives Sergio a kiss on the head. "Love you, Serg." She reaches down and pats Ska's head. "Love you, too, Ska. Your buddy will be home tomorrow. Something tells me you two will be a little on the wild side for a couple hours. Don't worry, I understand. But you better believe you'll first meet up with Henry outside so when you start to pee everywhere I won't have to clean it up."

Alaska rolls over on his back, his mouth open as if he is smiling in agreement. Emily chuckles and closes her eyes, hoping to get a few minutes of sleep not interrupted by nightmares.

* * *

Emily feels a gentle kiss on her cheek. She opens her eyes and sees ice blue eyes and a big smile. She grins.

"Hi, Rocky."

"Mama! Love!"

Now that her mother is awake, Rocky pounces. Emily laughs and rolls over with her, cuddling her close as Rocky gives her as big a hug as an almost 1-year old can. Emily happily returns it. After a moment she looks to the end of the bed to see Elizabeth standing there, smiling.

"Hi. Nap time?" Emily asks.

Elizabeth nods. "Well, it was at least. She was acting tired. Thought we'd come in to wake you for a lullaby but it looks like she has her second wind."

Emily grins. "Never underestimate the power of song, Mother."

Emily pulls her daughter close and starts to sing. Rocky tucks her head down into the crook of her mother's neck. She tucks her hands between them and sighs contentedly. Elizabeth smiles as the little one drifts off in Emily's arms. Emily kisses her daughter's head.

"I love you, Rocky," she whispers.

Elizabeth walks over and reaches for her. "I'll go put her in the crib. How about you clean up a bit and we'll talk."

Emily sighs in resignation. "I guess…there's no getting out of this talk?"

"Emily…please…let me be your mom for once. Please?" Elizabeth requests sincerely.

Emily, a bit choked up, just nods. A few minutes later the Prentiss women meet up in the bedroom once more. Emily sits on the bench at the end of the bed as Elizabeth takes the recliner. Emily isn't sure how to start so she…just starts with a question.

"Did your source tell you about the…the sexual attacks on me?" she asks quietly.

Elizabeth starts. Emily isn't sure what her mother had been expecting but this was definitely not it.

"Sex…sexual…you were raped?" she responds nervously.

"Almost. Twice recently. Other times, too, but these last two were the worst."

"Other times?" Elizabeth nearly shrieks. "How many other times, Emily?" Emily doesn't answer. "For Heaven's sakes, Emily, please tell me," she begs.

Emily takes a deep breath. She stands and starts to pace. "Twice in my Interpol days. Killed one bastard before he could do it. The other guy…well…he lived but he'll never use is dick to rape another woman," she says bitterly, remembering that event.

"Oh my God," Elizabeth mutters.

"And then…when the team went to Denver. Well, not the whole team. Jen and Morgan were in Afghanistan. The unsub got a hold of me. Threatened to kill Rocky if I didn't go with him. Said he couldn't wait to fuck a pregnant chick. But the team found me before he could. Those times…all three of those times, I could just accept it was the job. I don't know why but I could." She stops and stares out the window into the backyard. It was finally time to show her mother the brand. "When Doyle captured me to…to replace Declan he came to realize he could only have me…have Lauren if he raped Emily. He couldn't do it. For whatever reason he couldn't rape women. Maybe it was his one redeeming quality." She takes a deep breath. "But he could let his men rape women. And when that happened he needed to make sure they remembered who owned the woman and who owned the men."

Elizabeth swallows. "What did he do to you, Emily?"

Emily slowly turns to her mother and unbuttons the shirt she wears. It was the weekend so she hadn't bothered with a bra. She eases the panels apart and Elizabeth gasps as she sees the shamrock branded on her daughter's chest.

"Oh, Emily…oh, darling…"

"It's nothing to me anymore, Mother. But it was his way of preparing me to be a…a toy for his men until he felt they could be a danger to my…_his_ child."

"Jennifer showed him too much mercy killing him so quickly," Elizabeth says bitterly.

Emily manages a small smile. "I agree." Emily slowly buttons her blouse. "All those times I was okay with it for…for whatever reason. But the last two times haunt me because…because the team let me down both times. More Hotch, really, but they were all there. Even…even Jen."

"What did they do?"

Emily turns back to the window. "Hotch didn't bother to get me a guard in Long Island. I was in the hospital and Ridgeley got to me. He…he…" Emily takes an uneasy breath as she shudders. "He told me he had a little boy captive, Mother. I had to go with him. He cuffed me, gagged me and…and started to…he ran his hands up…" she shivers. "He fucking molested me, the whole time telling me what he planned to do to me. I tried to get away but he knocked me out. When I woke up I was chained to the floor of his van in such a way he could have…he would have…and I couldn't have stopped him."

"That son of a bitch."

"Yeah. And when we got to the crime house he…he kept touching me and kissing me and whispering the things he was going to do to me before…before killing me. The team fucking gave up their guns and had nothing to fucking bargain with. If Rossi hadn't pulled the shit he did I'd have been…I'd have been raped and murdered by that bastard. They fucking let me DOWN!" Emily punches the wall.

Elizabeth leaps up and grabs her daughter's hand. "No! Baby, please don't do that."

Emily pulls away, her hands up to ward her mother off. "Please…don't touch me," she whispers.

Elizabeth slowly nods. "Right. Of course."

"Then we went to Winslow. Morgan was hurt, Mom. He shouldn't have been in the park with me but he was. When his horse spooked he got hurt even more. He had to leave the park, Mom. He left me and Anna there. And then the fucking rain just wouldn't stop! It was slowing us down and Pilsy came up lame. So I pushed on alone. The fucking m.o. said the unsub would stalk his victim and take her the following Friday. There was NO reason to think he was out there with us! But he was and…and he got me." Emily wipes at the tears on her cheeks. "He took me off trail into the deep woods. He was…he was cutting my clothes off my body when a Vietnam Vet saved me. Not my team. Not my wife. A Vet. I don't even know what he may have done to me while I was unconscious. I feel dirty and disgusting and just…just fucking hate the whole team right now."

"Even Jennifer?"

Emily winces and leans back against the wall, slowly sliding down to the floor. "No," she whispers. "But I am still mad at her. She camped as a kid. She'd have been in the park, not me. She wouldn't have drawn his eye."

"Are you sure?"

"He had a type based on his ex-girlfriend who is his current step-mother."

"Oh. That's a bit twisted."

Emily gives a slight grin. "Understatement." She sighs. "I was even pissed that Garcia didn't locate Blair sooner. She already set me straight about that. But she's still pretty pissed at me."

"I believe it."

"She won't forgive me until I forgive the team and I just…I can't right now."

"Then run it down for me, Emily. Tell me why you are mad at each one," Elizabeth insists.

"Hotch sent Morgan into the park with me. Morgan went. He was injured so both are fucks for that reason. Hotch ordered the team to surrender their firearms in Long Island and had no way to get my ass out of that mess. Hell, I was in it because he didn't bother to put a guard on my door. What the hell was he thinking? He fucking set me up both God damned times!"

Elizabeth just nods. "And what else about Morgan?"

Emily shrugs. "I told him to stay behind. He was too fucking proud to step back and let Hotch or Rossi go instead. Hell, Reid didn't even bother to volunteer. They all gave me up to Ridgeley and then left me out there for Blair to attack. Now, do you understand why I just…can't be around them right now? Do you? Are you happy now, Mother? Happy to hear how I let myself get molested and attacked and that my team didn't do a damn thing to help me either time?"

Emily stands and storms out of the room. She ignores Elizabeth calling after her. She doesn't stop until she reaches the activity room. She grabs the key to the liquor cabinet and has it open by the time her mother catches up to her. Emily is shaking with rage as she stares at the bottles in front of her. Elizabeth is shocked to see her daughter turning to the bottle.

"Emily…"

"What? It's okay to let your husband drink himself into oblivion but not your daughter?" Emily says spitefully.

Elizabeth stiffens. "I'll ignore that for the moment. I guess this means the hotel bill wasn't incorrect about the bottles of whiskey."

Emily shrugs. "Helped me sleep."

"Helped you pass out, you mean. And I bet you woke up feeling worse and just had to drink more the next night to get the same so-called sleep."

"So what if I did?"

"You're staying here alone with Rocky. Do you drink yourself into a stupor here, too?"

Emily slowly shakes her head. "No. Not since I came home. Garcia stayed with me one night. After that I just…I'm fine for right now."

"For right now? Does that mean when Jennifer gets home you're leaving again?"

Emily just shrugs. "I…I think so."

Elizabeth shakes her head disapprovingly. "Then you really _are_ your father's daughter. He always ran rather than try to fix things, too. Ran away into a bottle and ran away into other women's arms. Do you plan to cheat on your wife, too?"

"NO!" Emily spins around. "Stop using guilt on me! I don't fucking need it. Why, for once, can't you just side with me? I don't need a fucking diplomat! I don't need a peacemaker! I just need…need…need a mom."

Emily bursts into tears and drops to her knees. Elizabeth's heart breaks. She walks over and kneels down, pulling her daughter close.

"You're right, Emily. I'm sorry. And I'm right here. Mommy's right here, Emmy. Everything is going to be okay. We're going to work together to help you heal. And then we'll deal with your wife. And then your team. And, honey, we can take as long as you need to do this, okay?"

Emily just nods, glad to turn over the running of her personal life to someone else if only for a little while. When Emily calms, Elizabeth kisses her forehead. She has to ask one more question if only to make her daughter face the answer.

"Emily, upstairs…you never elaborated about why you are so mad at Jennifer?"

Emily sniffs. "Because…because I'm a fucking asshole."

"Meaning?"

"She gave up her gun, too. She saw what Ridgeley was doing to me and she gave up her gun. She has the best fucking shot in the whole BAU and is one of the top shots at the FBI and she didn't take the fucking shot." Emily takes a shuddering breath and finally voices the other reason…the reason she hates herself more than anyone. "And I told you she camped as a kid. I can't help it, Mother. I'm mad as hell she was here instead of out there. She was here because she is trying to have our next child and I am so pissed at her for not being in those woods. How the fuck can I sit here and basically accuse her of having the insemination just to stick me out in that park where that bastard could get me? What kind of fucking ass am I that I feel that way?"

Elizabeth sighs. "I think you're hurting, Emily. And anytime we hurt so much and so deeply we strike out at everything without rhyme or reason. I think you need time to heal and then you will see things correctly."

"What if…if I don't?"

Elizabeth kisses her daughter's temple. "I know you will. Jennifer Prentiss has taught you how to love, Emily. And loving is the key to healing. Then you will forgive the sins you are seeing right now and they will forgive you for the things you said and did in the aftermath. But, Emily, I swear: turning to the bottle will not help. If you bury yourself in drink you will never heal. Don't throw away everything you have that's important to the bottle. Ask your father if you don't believe me but drinking will not help you."

Emily slowly nods. "I…I believe you."

After a few minutes the women stand. Emily turns and locks the liquor cabinet back up. She stares at the key a moment then turns and gives it to her mother.

"I believe you but I'm not sure I'm strong enough yet to listen to you."

Elizabeth smiles. "Handing me this key says you are but I'll hold on to it anyway. Come on, let's get you a good lunch. You don't look like you've been eating much."

Emily thinks a moment. "No, I don't think I have. I think I kind of forget most times unless Francesca puts something in front of me."

"As I thought. Come on."

Elizabeth takes her daughter's hand and leads her to the kitchen. Once more she feels regret at the years lost taking care of and teaching this remarkable, if hurting, woman beside her.


	8. Chapter 8

JJ stares at the murder board. The latest family had seen the unsubs finally cross the line to murder. It's a spree but the team can't seem to find a link that could help them find the next family the pack could target. Garcia had even hacked several databases looking for even the thinnest of threads that could connect the families together. JJ suddenly turns.

"Shit! What if each family is the target of a particular unsub? There's no connect because the four unsubs have different reasons for the attacks. Perhaps even different reasons for the brutality involved."

Hotch slowly nods. "Good theory." He moves to one of the chalkboards and turns it over to the blank side. "Okay, family 1: what are potential reasons for the attacks?"

Ignoring the obvious reasons that could be common (opportunity, income, etc.) the team instead looks back at their notes and the records of the initial police interviews to come up with the things that don't match to other families. They even list whether the family had any pets and what those pets were. They take two hours to carefully dissect the private lives of the 5 families that have been attacked. Finally Hotch steps back from the chalkboard. The room is silent as the agents each read the various notes.

"This is just as confounding as the previous notes," Reid points out.

Morgan nods in agreement. "True. But I feel like there is something there that we're just missing."

"I do, too," Rossi says. "Reid, are you sure you're not seeing a pattern?"

Reid rubs his temple. The near-blinding headache that had been his constant companion since Emily's outburst at the team is starting to throb again. "Sorry. Just don't see it."

Hotch studies him. The genius is paler than normal. "Reid, you okay?"

Reid just nods. "Headache."

"Migraine?" JJ asks.

"Almost," he concedes. He won't admit to them he is having trouble sleeping which is only making the headache worse.

Hotch sighs and glances at his watch. "It's 8:30. Let's call it a night. Reid, get something to eat, take a couple Aleve and get some sleep. The rest of you, try to put it away for the night. Be back here at 7 tomorrow unless there's a break sooner."

No one argues. As JJ packs up she suddenly gets an idea. She lifts up her phone and takes a picture of the chalkboard. She texts it to Emily with a note.

_Will call you in a little while. Can you see what we are missing?_

JJ has just put her briefcase on her shoulder when she gets a text back.

_Lots of new jobs on the list. Did they ever get public assistance?_

"Holy shit! That could be it!" The rest of the team looks back at her. JJ is scanning the board. "New jobs." She hits a prompt on the phone. "Garcia, have these families been on public assistance in the last year? Welfare, food stamps, anything?"

The team eases back to the table. Morgan studies the board and nods. "That's it. New jobs. No connect to old jobs but I bet there was a gap between employment."

He and Rossi start to dig through the papers in front of them again. Reid stares at the board. How had he missed that? He wonders. He rubs his temple once more. JJ smiles.

"Right. Shoot it to us, Pen." She hangs up. "Within the last year all the families had been getting food stamps and unemployment benefits. Of course, once the unemployed spouse got a job that benefit ended."

"And soon after they were attacked?"

JJ frowns. "No. They all got off 2-4 months ago."

"Could be the reason for the rage," Rossi points out. "These families pulled themselves out of needing assistance and the unsubs are bitter."

Reid starts to pace. "The unsubs are controlled, organized, they leave nothing behind. We know they are young. What about recent college grads unable to get jobs in their chosen field? And then older workers, willing to take less money to support their families, get the jobs the unsubs see as their right?"

Suddenly the team is energized. Even Reid's head is not hurting as much as it had been. As they start to delve back into the files, JJ sends a text to Emily.

_Well done, profiler. Will let you know how it turns out._

Hotch calls Garcia. "Garcia, we need a look inside the companies that hired these people. We need to know who wasn't hired. Concentrate on recent college graduates."

"On it, sir. But I warn you some companies don't digitize their rejections as carefully as others."

"Just do your best." He hangs up and looks at JJ. "I know tomorrow is Sunday but we need to speak to the HR directors at these companies. Find them on the company websites and let's get in touch with them. We need to meet with them ASAP."

JJ nods. "On it." She turns her computer back on and starts to look up the first company.

"Oh, and JJ?" Hotch continues. She looks up. "Tell her thank you."

JJ blushes. "Right, Hotch." She studiously avoids looking at the others, not wanting to see what they think about Emily's involvement in the case. She feels Morgan's eyes boring into her like a drill but still doesn't look up.

Hotch looks at Morgan and Reid. "Morgan, Reid, you two head back to the hotel. Reid, try to get rid of the headache. Morgan, be ready to lead the takedown if we find these guys."

Morgan finally tears his eyes away from JJ. He nods. "I will. The team can count on me. Always," he says pointedly.

JJ finally looks up and sees the anger in his eyes. She just shakes her head and goes back to her search. She'd deal with him later.

By the time JJ, Hotch and Rossi leave the police station at 10 they have appointments with the 5 HR directors for the next day and Garcia has found 3 names for them to ask about specifically. In the SUV, Rossi turns and looks back at JJ.

"How is she doing?"

JJ shrugs. "Honestly? I'm not sure. Elizabeth is there trying to help her deal with things but she has a ways to go before she's ready to forgive us for our real or perceived sins. And I think she has a lot more to admit to herself _about_ herself before we get anywhere."

Rossi nods. "I can believe that. But she is talking to you now, right?"

JJ nods. "To a point. It's not the same but it's something. Truth is, I'm still pretty pissed at her. I'll help her all I can but she knows when she's better she'll have Hell to pay for walking out on me and the kids."

"I bet. Keep in mind one thing, JJ."

"What?"

"When you and the kids needed her, she came back."

JJ gives him a small smile. "Yeah, she did. It's the one thing that keeps me talking to her. If she hadn't I'd…I'd have probably asked for the number of your divorce lawyer," she admits quietly.

"Here's hoping you never need it," he says kindly.

JJ just nods and turns to look out the window. Rossi turns back, glancing at Hotch as he does. He'd finally had his talk with JJ. Maybe tonight is the night he gets his protégé to talk, too.

* * *

JJ has just finished changing into pajamas when someone knocks…make that pounds on her door. She walks over carefully and sees Morgan through the peephole. She sighs and opens the door. He barges right in.

"Why even text her? She's not here because she doesn't want to be. If she wanted to be part of the case she'd have been here not on some damn task force."

JJ swallows. "Morgan, she gave us a good direction to take. Can't you just focus on that?"

"Maybe if she'd been here we'd have gotten that lead before 4 members of a family were murdered! Did you think about that?" he asks angrily.

"Or maybe not! You can't play the 'what if' game and you know it, Morgan!"

"No, but I can be mad at her. And I can hate what she's done to this team and hate that she didn't even give us a chance to defend ourselves!" He suddenly seems to deflate. He drops onto the foot of JJ's bed. "And I hate that I just don't know how I feel about her anymore. I hate that…that I'm not sure if I care to hear her apologies or excuses or anything. I don't want anything to do with her, JJ. And I never thought I could feel that way about Emily. Sure we argue and fight but we always make up. This time…this time there may be no making up."

JJ leans against the dresser. "I know. She knows, too. But she had to do this her way, Derek. It's not how you or I would do it but it's how she's doing it."

"But why a task force? Why something that nearly killed her before?"

"I think it's because she never felt settled about the outcome of JTF-12. This time she can direct the op and make it end on her terms. If she can see it through to the end and walk away feeling like she really did make a difference it will heal that old wound in her heart. Add in the realization Garcia made her face and she's got a ways to go until she even tries to come back to us."

"Garcia? She talked to Emily?"

JJ raises her eyebrows. "You didn't know?" He shakes his head. "Yeah, Pen went and confronted her the night we left for this case. Em had a big breakdown when Pen made her admit she's a victim of sexual assault. She's not been raped but the assault was there and when Emily finally admitted she was a victim Garcia said something just…just burst inside her. She's getting hammered with emotions and feelings of weakness. She's just got to find her strength again. I think…I think if this task force goes well she'll find that strength."

"And if it doesn't go well?"

JJ shrugs. "Time will tell if we ever get her back or not."

Morgan just nods. He thinks about everything JJ has said. "I've heard everything you've said, Jayje. But I'm still pissed at her."

"Understood. I am, too."

He nods again. "So, uh, how are the nesters?"

JJ shrugs. "I haven't really felt different. I honestly don't think it's worked this time. And, well, maybe that's for the best right now."

"I'm sorry, Jayje," he says compassionately.

"Like I said…it's probably for the best."

He stands and pulls her into a hug. "I'll let you know if I ever believe you really mean that."

JJ shivers, fighting the tears that threaten. He runs a hand through her hair.

"It's okay to cry, Jayje. Cry for all of it."

And so she does, letting him hold her as she finally releases the emotions that she had been trying to keep bottled up in deference to the case and to just keep putting one foot in front of the other as her personal life seems to be crumbling uncontrollably.

* * *

After Morgan leaves, JJ glances at the clock and sends a text.

_Are you still awake?_

Her response is her phone ringing with Emily's ringtone.

"Hi."

"Hi, Jen. How's it going?"

"We need to see a marriage counselor," JJ blurts. "I get that you have a lot going on emotionally but if you want this marriage to work you have to start trusting me more with your emotions. As long as we've been together it's absolute bullshit that you walked out on me and the kids and didn't even have the fucking guts to try to let me help you. Dinner and a movie aren't going to fix this, Emily. I want us to see a counselor and I want some joint sessions with Dr. Westfallen. If you can't handle any of that let me know now so I can stop feeling so damn helpless and start moving forward with dissolving our marriage."

Emily is stunned. She had not expected such an angry and emotional outburst from her wife. The thought of divorce nearly makes her throw-up. She is completely speechless.

"Emily? Are you there?"

"Y- -yeah," Emily croaks. "I…I understand, Jen."

"I don't want understanding, Emily. I want either agreement or disagreement. I want to know…know where I stand with you," she finishes tearfully.

"Oh, Jen. God, Jen, you are the most important woman in my life. I swear I know I was wrong. If counseling and joint therapy is what is needed to prove that to you I'm in. I promise you I am in. I will do whatever I have to do to fix things with you."

JJ takes a deep breath. "Okay," she says with relief. "Okay, then."

Emily listens to the silence a moment. "Do you…need to get some sleep?"

"Yeah. Your thought led us to a new direction to take tomorrow. If it pans out we'll be closing in on these guys."

"Good. I'm glad."

"Morgan is pretty pissed I asked you."

Emily frowns. "He can get over it."

"You two have a hell of a confrontation in front of you, don't you?"

"Maybe. I'll be honest, Jen. Right now I'm still not sure what I feel regarding him or Hotch. I'll think about them after I start making amends with Reid and Rossi, and after I finish making amends with Pen."

"Emily, if you don't fix things with Morgan you probably won't fix them with Pen."

"True. Guess time will tell, right?"

JJ sighs in resignation. "I suppose so." She glances at the clock. "I, uh, need to get to sleep. Have a press conference at 8 to tell the media a whole lot of nothing and then I'll try to help Garcia refine a few searches while the team talks to the HR managers."

"Glad that idea helped a little. Good luck tomorrow."

"Thanks. You, too."

"Me? Why me?"

"Mom knows about us and she's pissed at you."

"Oh." Emily thinks a second. "What does it say about me that I'm more upset about disappointing your mother than mine?" she asks seriously.

"It says to me you recognize the woman that helped you open up emotionally. That means a lot to me, Em."

"I'm glad, Jen. I am so sorry for all this."

"I know you are. And the more your actions show that the better your chances are of repairing the crack in our foundation."

"Good. I love you, Jen. Please don't doubt that. I love you so much but I'm just…the anger at you is ridiculous but I can't let it go yet. I have no fucking idea why but I can't. But please don't think I'm not fighting to get rid of it and just concentrate on loving you."

JJ wipes a tear from her cheek. "I love you, too, Em. We'll fight together to right all this, okay?"

"Okay." Emily sighs, wishing she could have said all these things in person. "So, um, goodnight, baby."

"Goodnight, sweetheart. I'll let you know how things go tomorrow."

"Good. Hope you stop them."

"Me, too. So, damn, um, goodnight again."

Emily can't help but smile a little. "So we're back to that." JJ chuckles. "Goodnight, Jen."

"Goodnight."

Like pulling off a Band-Aid, JJ hangs up quickly. No, she wasn't done fighting for her wife. But no she wouldn't continue to be a whipping post for Emily's emotional upheaval. She rubs her stomach unconsciously, trying to figure out if it would be for better or for worse if this insemination didn't work.


	9. Chapter 9

Sunday afternoon Emily lets Alaska out on the front lawn as a car pulls up carrying Sandy and Henry. The dog is beyond excited to see his buddy and pees everywhere. Elizabeth, holding Rocky, just laughs.

"Good call, Emily."

"It's called experience, Mother. Trust me," Emily assures her.

Emily walks to the driveway and opens the backdoor of the car.

"MAMA!"

"Hey, Champ. Did you have a good week with Daddy?"

"Si! Eated crawfish!"

Emily blanches. "Uh, gee…um, lucky you?"

"Yummm!"

Emily nods. "I'll take your word for it, Champ."

She gets him out of the seat as the driver carries the luggage up to the house. As Emily stands up with Henry she sees Sandy glaring at her from across the car. Emily sighs.

"We'll talk when we get inside. Okay?"

"Count on it," Sandy insists.

Emily nods and gives Henry a kiss. She then puts him down so he can get a "kiss" from Alaska. He then notices who stands at the front door.

"MA!"

He runs to the house to greet his grandmother. Emily walks up beside Sandy.

"Just know anything you say to me I've probably already said to myself. I swear, Sandy, I'm trying to get better. I don't want to lose her but I…I've lost myself somewhere along the way. I have to find me again to be worthy of her."

Sandy stares into Emily's pained eyes. She slowly nods, some of her anger dissipating. Some. "Let's get everyone inside. Once Henry is regaling Liz and Rocky with tales of Louisiana you and I can slip away to talk. I'll…I'll try to listen without judging but know when a mother hears her daughter crying because she's heartbroken it's hard to be civil to the person causing that pain."

Emily bites her lip and looks into the distance, trying to stop the tears at the description Sandy has given of JJ. Finally she nods. "I'll remember."

The two women head inside. For half an hour Henry tells his Mama all about the fun he had with Will, Helen, and his Bayou cousins. Emily is just glad not to hear anything about Aunt Jolene. When he finally winds down a bit, Liz nods to Emily. The younger Prentiss turns to her mother-in-law.

"Sandy, there's something upstairs I'd like you to see."

Sandy nods in understanding. "Lead the way."

Emily looks down at her children and then walks from the room. Liz gives Sandy an encouraging nod. Sandy takes a moment to steel herself then follows Emily.

When they reach the bedroom, Sandy closes the door behind herself, in case words get loud and, well, if words kids shouldn't hear are used. She sits down on the bench at the end of the bed and glares at Emily.

"Well?"

Emily is pacing. "I…I don't know what Jen told you. It's probably all true so don't think that I'm giving you excuses or…or trying to…I don't know, get you to just forgive me. I'm not. I just need you to understand where my head is and why my heart is so fucked up I'm close to losing the best thing that ever happened to me."

Slowly and carefully Emily explains all the things that are haunting her life, both when awake and asleep. She finally finishes the story and stares out the window, refusing to look at Sandy.

For her part, Sandy had sat in stunned silence during Emily's recitation of the various events shaping the pain her daughter and daughter-in-law are dealing with. She slowly stands and approaches Emily. She tentatively reaches out touches Emily's shoulder, not surprised when the woman flinches.

"Emily, I…I don't know what to say. But know I am here for you. I always will be. There is one thing I know: what you have gone through would have broken most people long ago. The fact that you have been able to deal with all of this for so long is amazing to me. It doesn't surprise me that you have finally, well, cracked under the pressure of holding it all inside you." She slowly turns Emily around and stares into her eyes. "I believe in you, Emily Prentiss. I believe you will face your past head on and come to terms with it. And I believe you will make things right with Jenny. In all you told me at no time did I sense your love for my daughter has waned. You will make this right for both of you. I know you will."

Emily sobs. "Thank you."

Sandy pulls her close and holds her as the woman cries.

"Shit…how many fucking tears do I have left in me?" Emily mumbles.

Sandy smiles. "Something tells me you spent a lot of years holding your tears inside. It's about time that dam burst completely. I think you cracked it a bit a few times but finally you're letting all that crap flow out of you. It's about damn time, Emily."

Emily smiles. "Thank you."

* * *

Sunday at about 6:00 Emily is enjoying dinner with her mothers and children when her work phone starts to ring. She frowns as she sees who it is.

"Excuse me," she says stiffly as she quickly heads out of the kitchen. "Harlan, what's up?"

"Baltimore police are acting on a tip of bombs being made at one of the houses we were just alerted to. They plan to move in tonight."

"Son of a bitch. Stop them!"

"No go. Commissioner's son-in-law's sister lives in the neighborhood. With or without us they are going in."

"Shit. How much time do I have?"

"They plan to go in after midnight."

"Get the team up there. And tell Baltimore we're taking the lead."

"Already done. Their SWAT commander is expecting you."

Emily glances at her watch. "Damn it. Wish I had lights and sirens on my Lexus."

"Give me the plate, drive with your hazards on. You'll be cleared by the police in Virginia and Maryland."

"Good. Be there as soon as I change."

She hangs up and steps back into the kitchen. Elizabeth and Sandy both see how tense she is.

"I have to go to Baltimore. I'm not sure when I'll be back. If you two need to leave before I get back Francesca should be here by 6:30 tomorrow."

Elizabeth nods. "I can be here until then."

Sandy also nods. "I'll stay as long as I need to."

"Thank you. Excuse me."

She races up the stairs and changes into black cargo pants, a black tee shirt and her combat boots. She puts extra clips for her guns in the pockets of her pants and straps her clutch piece to her ankle. She goes into her closet and pulls out her tactical holster instead of her normal hip holster, wanting the strap to secure it to her thigh in case she has to run after anyone. Slipping both guns into place she goes back downstairs.

Elizabeth and Sandy look up. Neither had ever seen her in her infiltration outfit. Elizabeth swallows audibly.

"Oh, my God…Emily…"

Emily forces a smile to her face. "Nothing to worry about. Just a trip to the office," she says with a pointed look at Henry.

Elizabeth looks to her grandson and back. "Uh, right. Um, be careful, honey."

Emily nods. "I will be."

She walks over and kisses Rocky on the top of the head. "You be a good girl for you grandma's, okay?"

"Love Mama."

"I love you, too, Sweet Girl." She steps over to Henry. "I love you, Henry. Be a good boy, okay?"

"Henry good, Mama. Love Mama."

She gives him a hug and kiss. She then gives hugs and kisses to her mothers. "I probably won't be home before you all leave. It was good to see you. And I promise I'll be better next time we see each other."

Elizabeth smiles. "I believe it. Be careful, honey."

"Always."

"Take care, Emily. I love you," Sandy chimes in.

"Love you both."

And Emily is out the door, her mind switching from family to business with the turn of her ignition switch. With hazards on she punches in the address of the police precinct the SWAT team and her team are mobilizing.

"Well, lady and gentlemen, time to see what you all are made of," she whispers into the dusky sky.

* * *

Emily stands with Harlan and the SWAT commander. The man is shaking his head.

"I don't like it. You all are untested by my team and- -"

Emily freezes him with a glare. "Your team is taking the lead, we're coming in behind. And you better tell your men if one of us says run they better run. We're dealing with a terrorist cell which means IED's as well as obvious explosives. If you don't want a police funeral, you'll listen to what we're telling you. We don't give a damn about having a pissing contest with you. We care about stopping these bastards and gathering as much intel as we can to stop other cells they are working with."

Harlan stands back and allows the stare down to continue. He knows who will win. He can't help but grin when the SWAT commander finally nods.

"Okay. But same goes. We say run you run."

"We know the drill, Lieutenant. Trust me."

At midnight Emily approaches the front door of the house with 6 SWAT team members as well as Timothy Noth and Natalie Brent. The other two members of her team, Leroy Allen and Ken Farrelli are with a squad in the back. Harlan remains in the SWAT command vehicle with the Lieutenant and the police commissioner…who no one wanted there but short of cuffing him and dragging him away they were stuck with him.

Emily has her gun up and ready. Her eyes flick to her chest. It seems strange to see plain black Kevlar where normally she would see FBI splashed across her chest. Her team gets settled by the front door. The squad commander starts to the countdown for the no-knock entry.

"One. Two. Three!"

On three the front and back doors of the house are battered in simultaneously. Emily follows three men in and turns to the right to clear the living room as the rest of her team goes right up the stairs. The team from the back splits to clear the kitchen and the basement. Soon the word "clear" is coming through the earbuds. Emily stares at the empty room and shakes her head.

"_Son of a bitch…they knew we were coming_," she thinks to herself. "_We just got word today they were here. That means they cleared out after SWAT decided to raid the house. Where the hell is the leak? BPD or my team?_"

Natalie stomps back down the stairs. "They cleared out in a hurry. Left clothes and papers behind upstairs."

Emily walks into the kitchen. Leroy comes up from the basement and looks at Emily. "Boss, there's some crazy shit down there. Looks like materials packaging, an altar and some more papers."

Emily shakes her head. "Who was here? Do we know?"

Ken shakes his head as he walks up. "We just found out about it yesterday. We were to start surveillance on it Monday."

Emily nods. "Okay. We need to get the hell out of here. We leave it just as it is."

Natalie shakes her head. "Emily, they won't be coming back."

"I know. But we need to know them; if not their names at least their states of mind. We need to profile this house to figure out who we are dealing with."

"Oh, come on. They're zealots ready to kill innocent Americans. What the hell else do we need to know?" Ken asks.

"Trust me, Ken, we need to know more," Emily insists. "Get Harlan in here. We need to secure this before the BPD blows any chance we have of using this place to stave off the attack they are planning."

A few minutes later Harlan Wayans strolls in. He looks at Emily with raised eyebrows.

"You owe me dinner for the ass chewing I just got," he tells her.

Emily frowns. "What ass chewing?"

"The commissioner isn't happy the BPD aren't sending in their own CSI's to track this down. Finally had to threaten to call the State's Attorney and have him explain how the Patriot Act works. National security trumps local headlines. I also warned him if his name comes up in any article associated with this house I'd have him arrested for treason."

"Is that even possible?" Emily asks with a grin.

"Hell no. But he doesn't know that. Fucking blowhard."

Emily laughs. "Of course he is. He's a politician, not a cop. Civilian oversight is such a fucking joke."

"Yeah. So you want to approach the BAU for a team to come in here?"

Emily nods. "Yeah. I think I know the right group."

Harlan chuckles. "Yeah, I bet you do. Just so you know a team from the Secret Service is coming in to secure the house. Another burr in the commissioner's butt."

"Yeah, well, he can stand until his butt heals. We're here to stop an attack on the Capital. If he gives you any more guff, remind him he'll be hailed as someone who helped us stop the attack if he works with us. He works against us and he'll never even come up in all the after glory."

Harlan laughs. "I forget you were raised by politicians. I'll keep that in mind. Good job tonight."

Emily nods. "Thanks."

Emily goes back outside. She pulls her cell phone from her pocket and stares at the text she had received soon after she arrived in Baltimore.

_Caught the bastards. Flying out of here tonight as soon as the paperwork is finished. See you soon. Love you, Em._

Emily had texted back that she was working and would probably not see JJ at the house. Little did she know she would be seeing her at Quantico. Emily hitches a ride with a cop headed towards the station. She gets in her Lexus and starts to drive south.


	10. Chapter 10

Morgan reaches over and shakes JJ. "Hey, Blondie, we're back."

JJ groans and stretches. "Feels like I just closed my eyes."

"I know what you mean." He takes her hand and pulls her up. "Get moving. You should have time to go home and give your son a welcome home hug and kiss before coming back to the office."

JJ laughs. "Yeah, probably just enough time for that."

He thinks a moment before finally asking. "Will…she be there?"

"No. Her team had to work tonight. She'll have odd hours until the task force ends since they'll be working with contacts all over the world."

"So it could be a while before she takes care of stuff with…with all of us?"

JJ shrugs. "I don't know. I hope not if only for her peace of mind."

"_Her_ piece of mind? What about ours?" he asks, a bit miffed.

"Derek, if she can't get her head on straight we've lost her. She has to find herself before she can truly fix things with us."

Morgan sighs and slowly nods. "Yeah…I guess I sort of knew that. Still…just hurts inside."

"I know, Derek. I know."

These two are the last to leave the lot by the airstrip. When they get to the parking area by their building the see Hotch, Reid and Rossi standing in the parking lot…staring at Emily's Lexus.

"What the hell?" JJ mutters as she pulls into a parking space. She grabs her briefcase and gets out. "Hotch? What's she doing here?"

"We were waiting to ask you that," Hotch answers.

JJ shrugs. "I have no idea. She told me she was working but didn't say it was here."

"Did she know we were coming back?" Reid asks.

JJ nods. "Yes. I sent her a text."

Exchanging wary looks, the team heads inside to see what awaits them. When they get off the elevator on their floor they see Emily at her desk in the bullpen. She is typing on her laptop while talking on the phone. The team looks at each other before entering the office. Emily turns when she hears the door.

"Harlan, they're here. I have to go," she says and hangs up without waiting for a response.

The 6 stare at each other from across the room. The area that can sometimes feel claustrophobic now feels like the Grand Canyon. Emily takes a deep breath and starts to walk across the divide.

"I know I left here in a very shitty way. And I know I have a long way to go to make things right with each of you. I hope someday I can get there. But right now I need you…the country needs you. Tonight my task force helped the Baltimore PD raid a house where terrorists were assembling explosives. When we got there the place had been hastily emptied. Someone tipped those bastards off. And we need to know who these guys are. Regardless of our personal shit, you all are still the best damn team the BAU and the FBI has. I need your help. Please."

When she finishes her eyes are locked with the hard brown eyes of Hotch. The team slowly turns to look at their boss. Hotch slowly nods.

"Give us five and run it all down for us."

Emily nods. "Thank you."

An uncomfortable silence falls in the office as the team goes to their desks to drop off things that can wait until tomorrow and double check any mail or messages that await them. Emily sits down and finishes typing up the report she had been working on. She looks up when she feels she is being stared at. She sees the hurt in Reid's eyes. She swallows.

"I'm sorry, Reid. I really am," she says softly.

He nods. "I'm sure you are."

That stings. Emily finally breaks eye contact and goes back to her report. She closes out the document and heads towards the conference room. The team filters in one by one. Hotch enters last, closing the door behind him.

"So, what's the story?"

"There is credible evidence that an attack on Congress is imminent. We have identified the sect from Al Qaeda that is behind it and we know there are three teams here in the area that are part of the plot. We don't know who they are, their ages or even their nationality. Our overseas contacts are still working to secure that information. Earlier tonight, the police commissioner in Baltimore ignored an order to stay out of a house up that way. He ordered the raid and threatened jobs if it didn't happen. We reluctantly went with them."

She takes a deep breath. "But they had been tipped off. The house had been hastily emptied and they had to leave things behind. We have a unique chance to profile that house and get an idea of at least part of the team we are up against." She pauses. "I know I have a lot to do to make up to each of you. But you are still the best the country has to offer. Please, will you profile the house to help us?"

The team exchange looks with each other. Finally Hotch nods. "Yes, we will. We'll have full access?"

Emily nods. "Yes, sir. It's been left just as we found it. Secret Service has it locked down."

"We're all exhausted. We need to sleep. Can we meet you there at 8?"

"Of course." She takes a deep breath, knowing the next thing she asks for could be denied. "I also have a favor to ask. I have dossiers on each member of my team. I'd like Garcia to run them again. I want her to dig deep and hard. There's a leak somewhere and I need to know if it's my team or somewhere else. She also needs to make sure she leaves no trail and doesn't alert anyone to the scrutiny."

"You don't trust any team now?" Rossi asks.

Emily winces, knowing she deserved that snide question. "I trust myself and I trust the job this team does. Right now I can't afford to blindly trust the information I've been given." Her eyes stray to JJ's. "I have too much to live for to die because I didn't bother to check."

Hotch sees the brief flicker in Emily's eyes as she looks at her wife. It tells him the Emily they know is still in there somewhere and maybe, just maybe, she really is trying to get back to them.

"I'll make sure Garcia does it first thing in the morning with full security protocols on her office while she does."

Emily looks back to her (former?) boss and nods her thanks. "I appreciate it, sir."

Hotch looks at the team. "We leave here at 7." He stands, effectively dismissing them.

Emily is staring at Morgan, who takes his time standing up. She starts to fiddle with her fingers nervously.

"So, uh, how's the shoulder?"

"Better. Unsubs surrendered when they realized they were surrounded so I didn't have to bust any heads," he says with a small smile.

Emily grins. "Lucky them."

"Yeah."

They stand for a second, just studying each other.

"You're still pissed at me, aren't you?" he finally asks.

Emily shrugs. "Honestly, Derek, I don't know what I am right now. I'm…kinda fucked in the head. And…and I can't deal with everything between us right now. But I want to. I swear I do."

He studies her face; she looks to be telling the truth. But a small voice in his head reminds him she was able to fool Ian Doyle for a year so she is a skilled liar.

"Then I hope we get the chance soon, Emily," he finally admits.

She glances at her watch. "Well, I need to get to the office. I'll see you all at 8."

"See you then."

Emily goes back to her desk at the bullpen and packs up her laptop. She looks over at her wife, who had been lingering.

"Jennifer…I, uh…I'm…do you want…shit."

JJ knows what has her wife so nervous. She answers the question Emily is terrified to ask. "Think you'll be home in time for dinner tonight?"

Relief flows over Emily. She slowly nods. "I aim to be. Will just sort of depend on new leads and stuff."

JJ walks over to the desk and stares into her wife's eyes. "We can't fix it if you're not there, Emily. Please…move back permanently. If…if it gets hard one of us can sleep down the hall until it gets better."

Emily smiles. "Okay. Thank you, Jen."

The two walk out together, even though the others watching them see there is still tension between them. At his desk Reid rubs his face.

"You okay, Pretty Boy?" Morgan asks.

"I don't know. I don't know how I feel about her and I hate it."

"You're not alone in that, Reid. We're all feeling the same way. Even JJ."

"Do you think we'll get things back the way they were?"

"Reid, if we get past all this, it will be better."

"And if we don't?"

Morgan studies Emily's desk as if it holds an answer for him. He pats Reid on the shoulder. "I refuse to think we won't. We'll make it back to each other because damn it there just isn't any other option."

"I wish I could believe that," Reid mutters.

"Then I'll believe it for both of us. 'Night, Reid."

"Goodnight."

Reid is the last to leave that night. As he walks out into the night he is still not sure if the team will ever truly be whole again.


	11. Chapter 11

At 7:45 the team pulls up in front of the house in Baltimore in two SUV's. They see Emily on the front lawn talking to a uniformed Secret Service officer. She turns to greet them and JJ winces. Obviously Emily had not had a chance to get any sleep.

"She's looking bad," Reid notes.

JJ nods. "Yeah, she is. So let's do what we can to help her end this thing."

Reid just nods, still not sure what he's feeling for Emily. The team approaches her as the officer walks away.

"Hi. Thanks for this. I know you all must be exhausted," she greets them.

"You don't look like you got much sleep either, kid," Rossi says, the affectionate nickname slipping out to both his and Emily's surprise.

Emily manages a small smile. "Understatement of the week, Rossi. The house is three levels and the cell left evidence on each floor. It's all as it was last night. I made sure of that already."

"Are you going to help us with the profile?" Reid asks.

She shakes her head. "I'll be with you to answer any questions you may have but I know too much to give an objective profile. I'd rather get a fresh look at it."

The team nods and follows her into the house. She steps back and gestures that the place is theirs. Hotch looks at his profilers.

"JJ, Morgan, start at the basement. Rossi, Reid, start upstairs." The duos head off. Hotch glances around and confirms he is alone with Emily. "Garcia is already working on the search you requested. She said it could take all day."

Emily nods. "That's fine. I'd rather have I right than have it quickly."

He nods. They stare at each other a moment. He starts to turn away.

"I was wrong," she says quietly. He turns back. "Yes, I'm still mad but I was wrong to say it the way I did. I respect you, Hotch, and that outburst was just a shitty way to handle things. Do we need to have a long talk? Yes. But please know I still respect you as a profiler."

"And as a team leader? As your boss?"

"As I said…we need to have a long talk," she reiterates.

He actually grins. "I'll take that for now. I should have sent Rossi or gone myself. I know that and I'm kicking myself everyday for that mistake."

"I know. That's why I can still look at you. But it was pointed out to me if Morgan hadn't gotten reinjured I wouldn't have been so furious about the assignment. Heck, Morgan and I were laughing and joking even after that. The fury didn't set in until…until Blair had me. And I know I have some culpability in that. I put too much faith in his m.o. and the profile and put myself in a bad situation by going off alone. Like I said, we need to have a long talk."

"Agreed. So let's help you find these bastards and try to put our team back together."

Emily nods, giving him a real smile. "Sounds like a solid plan."

* * *

JJ and Morgan had gotten to the bottom of the steps and stopped. Morgan took a quick whiff of the air and groaned.

"Ammonia."

"Yep," JJ agrees. "Let's see what else we can find."

The two agents start to go through the rubbish strewn throughout the area. JJ moves behind a small cabinet and starts to shake her head.

"Damn it." Morgan looks over. "Got a bunch of empty rat poison boxes."

"I've got nail boxes over here. They've been assembling the bombs already."

"Fuck, Morgan." JJ steps to the stairs. "Prentiss? You got a second?"

Emily had been about to look in the kitchen cabinets when she hears JJ's call. She goes downstairs.

"What's up?"

Morgan holds up the boxes. "Nails and rat poison. All empty. Lots of them."

"Fuck. They've built them already," Emily concludes.

"These men are well trained. We've got fertilizer leftovers, these boxes and the stench," he points out. "Typical terrorist bomb including the poison on the shrapnel to hamper blood clotting," Morgan states.

"What's your thought on ages?"

"Hard to say from this. They could get the training they need online or at a training camp."

"How big a bomb are we talking?"

"A couple big ones or several small ones," he replies.

Emily thinks back to the training exercise. "Hogan's Alley. My role was several bombs placed in strategic locations around D.C." Her jaw clenches. "I'm missing information. I need to make a call."

She storms upstairs, hitting Harlan's number as she goes. "Harlan, what the hell haven't I been told?"

Harlan is confused. "What are you talking about?"

"My team was put through a pointless drill in Hogan's Alley but my role as the terrorist rings eerily similar to what I'm seeing here. What the hell has been withheld from me or the task force?"

Harlan is silent a moment. "I had no idea about the drill. If someone is holding information back I don't know who."

"Start with the head of the Secret Service. He observed the drill."

"On it."

They disconnect. Emily takes a steadying breath. "Seems like nothing has changed in the way information is sent out to the members of a task force," she mutters. She stares out the window, anger emanating off of her for an hour as the team does their thing.

Hotch walks into the room. "You okay?"

"No. But that will be dealt with later. Any impressions so far?"

"This place is very clean. If they left in a hurry it doesn't show that."

Emily nods. "True. That leads me to think older, experienced. Probably ready to die for the cause."

"Aren't they all?"

Emily shrugs. "Yes and no. Younger terrorists always think there is more for them to do. Older ones tend to think it's time to report to Allah personally. Plus the neatness tells me they know not to leave anything important behind."

Hotch nods in agreement. "What did Morgan and JJ need?"

Emily tells them what was found. "I've called Harlan. This stinks like we're missing information. He's going after it."

"Good idea."

Their conversation ends as Reid and Rossi come back downstairs. Emily looks at them hopefully.

"Find anything?"

Rossi nods. "A lot. None of it good."

"There are a lot of communications in Arabic. You may want to translate them yourself in case they are pertinent," Reid states.

Emily nods. "I will. One of my men will help with them once we take them into evidence." Morgan and JJ join them. Emily crosses her arms across her chest. "So, take some time to compare notes. I'll be outside." She pauses. "Thank you for doing this for me."

Hotch nods. "Glad to help."

Emily goes outside and starts to pace. Inside, the team stands in a circle.

Hotch starts. "Older, probably 40's. Been part of the movement for some time and are ready to make the ultimate statement."

"Organized, controlled, detail oriented," Rossi continues.

"At least one is not only smart enough to assemble the bombs but also skilled enough to do so without setting them off when moving out unexpectedly," Reid notes.

"What if it wasn't so unexpected?" JJ says. "Emily is concerned they were tipped off. Would they still need to be skilled if they had time?"

Reid nods. "They would still have to know they were not going to accidently detonate while being moved. He had to be sure his WMD's would only go off when he wanted."

"So he has experience, then?" she asks.

"Definitely, which is why Hotch is spot on with the age," Rossi tells her.

JJ nods, glad she is getting a firsthand education in profiling terrorists but not liking why it is happening.

"Though they are on the run from this location we can assume they won't be forced into acting before they want," Hotch says. "They will be willing to wait until the right moment. They won't be swayed into trying a different target like we saw in Ames. They know their goal and they will stay focused on it."

Reid had been scanning information in his head. "For a mission-based killer, we always profile the potential victims, too. The alleged goal is the Houses of Congress. Do we know why?"

Morgan shrugs. "Could just be to throw the country into chaos if the lawmakers are hit."

"Is there anything happening this week or month that would make them a more visible target?" Reid continues.

JJ pulls out her phone and calls Garcia to see if she can check for anything on the Congressional schedule. Rossi is slowly looking around the house.

"Does it seem strange to anyone but me that the BPD gets an anonymous tip about this house too late to do anything? What exactly was the report that was made?"

"What are you thinking, Rossi?" Hotch asks.

"What if we were meant to find this? Secret Service and Capital Police will immediately ramp up security around the Capital Building. It's kind of morbid, but it will draw more people in to watch and see what will happen. I mean, yes, some people will see about this on the news and avoid D.C. but others will want to be on the frontline, hoping to get the picture or video that will get them on TV."

"So the terrorists called it in on themselves?" JJ says with confusion.

"Could have. Think about it: more people equals more casualties equals more attention. If they do have multiple explosives they will have a chance to detonate several times as more and more first responders flood the area."

"This could be a larger attack plan than Prentiss is aware of," Hotch finishes. He takes a deep breath. "I understand if no one wants to be part of this considering the tension we have with her right now. I'm going to offer her our full support behind the scenes of her task force. We'll give them our profile but I want us to work this, too. If any of you want to take a few days off- -"

"Don't even go there, Hotch," Morgan interrupts. "This is about more than petty bullshit that can be dealt with later."

"I concur," Reid says.

JJ and Rossi both nod. Hotch nods. "Good. Let me go speak with Prentiss. You all double check each other here in the house. Make sure we've missed nothing before the Secret Service or CIA gets in here and cleans it out."

The team nods and goes to parts of the house they had not yet searched.

* * *

Outside Emily had been pacing. For one reason, to ease her tension. For the second, to keep from falling asleep. She was now approaching 28 hours with no sleep and was being reminded once again she is not as young as she used to be. When her phone rings she answers without looking at it.

"Prentiss."

"Emily? Are you okay?"

Emily sighs. "Yes, Mother. Sorry. Didn't look at the caller i.d. before I answered."

"Ah, okay. I just wanted to say goodbye. Sandy and I are on the way to the airport. Honey, if you need anything as you and JJ start to work on things we are both here for you."

Emily nods. "I know, Mother. Thank you. Have a good flight back to London."

"Thank you, sweetheart. I love you. Here's Sandy."

"Love you, too, Mom."

"Emily, did you get any sleep?" Sandy asks immediately.

Emily sighs. "Not yet. I'll probably catch a nap soon."

"Well, take care of yourself. Running yourself until you get sick won't do anyone any good."

"I know. I'll rest soon. Promise."

"Okay. Good luck with the case and, more important to me, with getting things settled with JJ and your friends."

"Thank you, Sandy. I promise to keep working on making things better again."

"I know you will, Emily. I love you."

"Love you, too, Sandy."

Emily hangs up and puts the phone back in her pocket. If both her mother and mother-in-law have that much faith in her who is she to doubt herself? She would do what she needed to do to clear the personal with the team. And she would go above and beyond to repair the cracks in her relationship with JJ.

"Prentiss."

Emily turns as Hotch approaches. "Yes, sir?"

He looks around to confirm they are alone. "I have a proposition for you." He quickly makes the offer to work in the background of the case. "Our general feeling is this is far more advanced than you've been made aware of and we want to prevent unnecessary deaths."

Emily's eyes tear up. Regardless of her temper tantrum and horrible attitude towards them, this team is still watching her back. She clears her throat before she speaks.

"Thank you, Hotch. I accept the help. I'd be a fool not to. And I know you offer this to help the country but I also know it's because of loyalty to me, even while I'm being a shit."

Hotch gives her his trademark grin. "We're all shits at some point, Emily. We'll solve this case and deal with the other crap later. Deal?"

Emily nods. "Deal." Her phone rings and she sees it is Harlan. "Let me see what this is." She answers. "What's up, Harlan?"

"Bastards 'forgot' to give us the latest intel reports. This is bad, Prentiss. How soon will you be done at the house?"

"I think the team is wrapping up now. I'll be there soon."

"Good. If what we're seeing is right, we're looking at a window of about 5 days to find and neutralize the threat."

"Son of a bitch. Okay, I'll head that way now." She holds the phone away a moment. "Hotch, how soon until you all are ready to present a profile to my team?"

"They were just double checking everything. We can meet you at Murray Avenue in about an hour."

"Good. Harlan, the team will be ready in about an hour. Let's make sure we have anything for them that could affect their profile."

"Will do."

Emily pockets her phone. She relates the timeline Harlan has found. Hotch frowns.

"Think we need to get Garcia to dig a bit deeper than your team?"

"Maybe. Can you get her to check the 9-1-1 call that lead to this raid. Right now I'm not trusting anything that Secret Service is feeding us."

"Keep that distrust and it will keep you alive."

Emily gives a wry grin. "That's one of the things I remember about being on JTF-12. Some things never change. See you in D.C."

Hotch nods as he watches Emily stride across the yard to the government sedan she is using. He sees a tenseness in her shoulder and a determination in her stride her recognizes from her early days at the BAU. He hadn't realized how much she had changed until he sees this. No wonder she is so mad about what happened in Winslow. She probably flashed back to the days where she couldn't trust anyone to have her back and was sideswiped by the feelings this team had now done her the same way.

"Yes, we'll make this right, Emily. Something tells me you and I have a hell of a yelling match coming. There is fault with both of us and we'll get it all hashed out," he vows to her taillights.

He goes back inside to see where the team stands on giving the profile to the task force team.


	12. Chapter 12

Emily scans the information Harlan had been able to get. She shakes her head. "This is fucked, Harlan. We'd have never stopped these bastards without this information. We were set up to fail."

"That's my thought, too."

"What the hell is going on here?" she asks herself.

"Hey, Boss, we've got something you need to look at," Leroy Allen says as he walks over.

"What's that?"

"Had a search done on shipments to that house. There's nothing."

"Nothing? That means it was delivered somewhere else and then brought to that house."

"Exactly. We speculated that they might have more than one house. I mean, let's face it, that makes sense. But now we can be damn sure they do and they may be holding up there until they are ready for the attack."

Emily nods. "Any ideas what they may be targeting?"

He shakes his head. "Nothing shaking out as of yet. There are no major rallies or announcements on the calendar that would make us think that is the target."

"Shit. Okay, when you can't get a solid lead profiling the unsub you profile the victim." Emily walks up to a dry erase board and writes "Congress" across the top of it. The team gathers around her. "What besides the obvious makes them targets and what could make them a target in the next 4-7 days?"

"We can check bills being voted on," Natalie Brent tosses out. "May be something buried in one that the terrorists wouldn't want to see go through."

Emily nods and writes that up on the board.

"Any speeches scheduled? Could be a Senator or Representative that has been vocal against terrorism or Al Qaeda specifically," Timothy Noth adds.

Emily writes speeches. She then adds 'Special Guests'. "Could be someone coming to visit that they would want to target." Her team nods.

"What about a religious aspect? Is there anything in any religion that would make it a good date for some reason?" Ken Farrelli asks.

Emily writes that up on the board. She is about to say something more when her phone rings. She sees it is Garcia. She answers.

"Hold for a second, Garcia." She looks at the team. "Each of you take one of these things and check it out. If you come up with any more thoughts, write it up there. We have a small window to close on these bastards."

She steps out into the hallway and goes down to the office that she is using. Once she has shut the door, she goes back to her phone.

"Sorry about that, Garcia. I wanted to have this talk in private."

"Understood, Em. So, here's what I know about your team."

Garcia gives Emily a rundown of all she had been able to find in cyberspace on the members of the task force. By the time she is done, Emily has an uneasy feeling in her gut.

"So not a single red flag other than the standard CIA blocks on Noth and Wayans," she says.

"Nothing. Not even outstanding parking tickets."

"Did you scan immediate family members?"

"Of course. Again nothing leaps out. This is all a good thing, right?"

"I hope so."

"That doesn't sound positive."

"It's a gut thing, Garcia. That house was so clean. What they wanted us to find we found. Enough to give us an idea of how serious the threat is but not a single bit of evidence to nudge us towards a specific suspect. It's just…strange that it was so sterilized in some ways."

"I see what you mean."

"Any word on the 9-1-1 call yet?"

"Not yet. Wanted to call you with this before I started on that."

"Okay. Thanks, Garcia. Once again you're saving my ass and I appreciate it."

"Well, how can you make things right with my God of Chocolate Thunder, my best friend and the rest of them if I don't save your ass?"

Emily chuckles. "How indeed? Thanks, Pen."

Emily hangs up and stares up at the ceiling. No red flags. That in itself was odd. But she knows Garcia would have looked for any sign the backgrounds were scrubbed. After a half hour of thought she suddenly sits up. What if it wasn't scrubbed? What if it just didn't exist? She quickly calls Garcia back.

"Pen, quick question: the background search you did, I know you checked for scrubs in the records, right?"

"Yes, of course."

"Okay, what if it wasn't scrubbed. What if the entire bio was planted? When I was Lauren, you could actually look her up just in case I was ever taken into custody by someone who didn't know the task force."

"Ooo, good thought, Em. That's going to take some checking. Hit you back when I have something."

"Excellent." As Emily hangs up someone knocks on her door. "Come in."

Harlan opens the door. "BAU is here."

"Good," Emily says as she stands. "Let's see what they have to say." She doesn't mention she'd already been given a preview of the profile.

When Emily reaches the conference room, she closes the door and looks at Hotch. "So, you all have an idea who we are looking for?"

"We do. And it's not good," he confirms.

For five minutes the team lays out the profile they have come up with. Not to Emily's surprise, it hadn't changed after she left. She carefully watches each member of her new team to see their reaction to the profile. Two agents catch her eye as having odd reactions. Maybe not outright suspicious reactions but odd. A plan forms in her head. She hates that she feels it necessary but she decides to set a bit of a trap for the agents. A little misinformation, slightly different to each one and then watch to see who takes the bait.

As the team finishes, Emily walks up to them. She offers her hand to Hotch.

"Thanks for doing this on such short notice. I'll make sure you all get the credit when we stop these assholes."

"And if you don't?" he asks.

She grins. "Then I'll blame your mind games."

The team chuckles as Hotch nods. "Good idea." He looks at the others in the room. "Good luck. I hope we've helped."

After the BAU team leaves, Natalie Brent sits forward. "Uh, no offense, Prentiss, but what good does what they said do us?"

"We know we're not dealing with younger terrorists that would be scared away by the raid. They won't go into hiding; they will carry out their plans with little to no variations because they have already proved they are a step ahead of us. I don't know about you all but I don't like that a bit. Time for us to catch up and get ahead of them." She looks at Natalie. "I want to know about any houses in this area that were rented on a short term lease at the same time as the Baltimore house. I want to know who rented the house in Baltimore and where the funds for it came from."

Natalie nods. "On it."

Emily looks at Leroy and Ken. "You two go back to the neighborhood. Talk to the neighbors, the paperboy, anyone that might have seen activity at that house. Who was coming and going; what were they driving; did they get food delivered."

"And if they got food delivered, talk to the restaurant," Ken adds.

Emily smiles and nods. "You got it." She turns to Timothy Noth. "The papers from that house may be worthless but you and I are going to read every damn one of them. I don't care if one looks like a grocery list you read every word. I've ordered the CSI team to clear them first and release them to an officer as soon as they are done."

"Okay," he agrees.

She looks at her team. "We're against the clock right now. Let's get some time back on our side."

The team nods and each gets to work on their assignment. Timothy starts to go over cell tower records for the Baltimore neighborhood since he can't work on the other papers yet. As he does, Emily frowns. Yet another line for Garcia to tug. She hurries back to her office. As she goes to shut the door, Harlan stops her.

"What do you need from me?"

"I need you to find out what else we haven't been told. ATF, FBI, Homeland Security…who the hell else knew about that house? And what do they have on the people inside."

He nods. "Working on it already."

"Then keep pushing. If even one innocent person is killed and the public finds out there was crap not shared by the alphabet agencies we'll all go down for it."

He nods, not having thought of it in terms of ending his career. With a new urgency in his step, Emily's temporary boss goes to his office to get back on the horn with the other agencies. Emily closes her door and calls Garcia back.

"The team is on their way back to you," she starts. "They are going to be helping me out behind the scenes. I need you to pull cell phone records of my team. Do any have calls in that Baltimore neighborhood in the past two weeks? Also, and I don't know how you'd look this up, but are there any disposable phones in that neighborhood whose numbers track alongside the numbers of my team. Concentrate on the phones for Noth and Farrelli first if you need to narrow the focus."

"You think one of them is your mole?"

"Maybe. They had odd reactions to the profile. I'd rather apologize later if I'm wrong than the alternative."

"I second that. Will let you know when I know anything. It could take a while for the phone thing. That's an intense search. But I do love a challenge."

"And I'm sure it's a challenge you will meet. Thanks, Pen."

Emily hangs up and takes a deep breath. When her stomach growls she realizes not only has she not slept since she woke up the day before but she left in the middle of her dinner and has had nothing but coffee since. She decides to walk down to the cafeteria and get a bite to eat. As she gets off the elevator a meeting in the corner of the lobby catches her eye.

"_Reginald Cervantes. What the hell are you doing talking to Timothy Noth_?" she wonders suspiciously.

She steps to an area where she can watch them. The man that had allowed Myron Phillipe to go after her team twice seems upset. Noth seems nervous. Finally, a very agitated Cervantes turns and storms out of the building. Noth leans against the wall, seeming to be at war with himself over something.

"That's why you acted strange. Cervantes wants information from you," Emily murmurs. She smiles proudly. "And from the looks of it, you wouldn't give it to him."

With that theory in mind, Emily is less suspicious of Noth but decides to go ahead and let Garcia continue to investigate him just in case.

* * *

When the team returns to Quantico, Hotch calls for Garcia to meet them in the conference room. They had just started to discuss what they were going to do to help Emily when the door opens and Straus walks in.

"I understand you all went out to profile a scene for Prentiss this morning. Care to explain?"

Hotch nods. "Baltimore PD jumped the gun on a house with ties to the task force Emily is running. The terrorists got out in a hurry but left plenty of items behind to help us give the task force a better idea of who they should be looking for. As it is an ongoing matter of national security we thought it best to respond immediately."

"I see. And what are you going to do now?"

"Prentiss asked us for some additional support her team can't provide her. For today at least we're going to give it to her. She's promised full disclosure of our involvement if we succeed and will protect us if things go haywire," he replies.

Straus nods. "Very well. Keep me informed. With so many agencies involved it could get ugly. You'll have my support and protection if anything comes down on you over this."

Hotch nods. "Appreciated." As she leaves and closes the door Hotch looks at his team. "Pod person."

Everyone starts to chuckle at the comment they normally hear from Emily. Hotch looks at Garcia.

"So, what has she got you looking for?"

By the time the team splits up they all have assignments regarding helping Emily check to see if she does indeed have a leak on her team and, if not, they will figure out how to help her find out just where that leak may be.

* * *

Morgan slips away from Quantico at 11:30 for an appointment he knows he can't miss no matter what. He had spent the morning finishing the write-up on the case the team had just come back from so the rest of the agents could concentrate on helping Emily. At 11:45 on the dot the door to Dr. Westfallen's inner office opens. She smiles.

"Hello, Derek."

He stands and nods. "Hi, Doc. I think you're going to earn your paycheck today."

She sees the fear and anger dancing in his eyes and nods. "Yes, I believe I will." She gestures to her office. "Come on in." After he is sitting, she smiles at him. "So, why do I feel this is about your best friend?"

He sighs as he sits back on the couch. "How could it not be?" He tells her about assisting with Emily's task force.

"I see. Just last week you said you wouldn't offer her a mint if she'd just sucked on garlic."

He grins. "Yeah. Think I got that crazy statement from Garcia."

"So what's changed? Was it because it was an order?"

"No. It's changed because…I looked into her eyes." He sits forward, his arms on his knees. "When I realized what had happened, when I heard Blair's voice on her phone, I swore I'd never forgive myself for leaving her out in the woods. And I swore I'd be there for her no matter what she needed or when she needed it." He runs a hand over his head. "Then she got pissed at the meeting. Even then I was willing to be there for her until…until she said she'd do the task force and voiced to everyone how pissed she was at me and Hotch. I deserved her fury, Doc. And instead of just accepting it I…I turned my guilt into anger. I shouldn't have been in that park. My pride put her in the position to be taken. And I have to live with that. But then I just decided to be pissed at her instead of at myself."

Dr. Westfallen nods. "True. Oftentimes we turn our guilt to anger, especially if the focus of that anger isn't going to be around. It's easier to hate someone else than to hate ourselves."

Morgan nods. "Yeah…it is."

"So have you talked?"

"Sort of. A bit. We both…we know we need to say more. I just…I know she wants to fix things with us but I had this sudden thought pop into my head that she's a skilled liar and maybe she's just playing me. I fucking hate that!"

"I imagine you do. Tell me, answer me immediately, do you think she's lying about wanting to fix your friendship?"

"No," he says…and a wave of relief washes over him. In his own heart he knows Emily's heart. "She owes me an ass-kicking."

Westfallen smiles. "Perhaps. But maybe a supportive shoulder will be better. Derek, are you mad she put herself out there alone?"

He thinks a moment. "Sort of. I mean, hell, we live by our profiles. None of us expected him to hunt down Emily. Not when we knew he stalked his victims in town long enough to find something to hold against them. We didn't suspect he could be out there already just waiting for her. And…and I looked Blair in the eyes. I never once got a bad vibe off of him. And now I have to wonder if it was because I was in so much pain or was it because he was such a good sociopath that he didn't give anything away."

"And now we see where more of your anger comes from. You don't trust yourself very much right now."

"No, I don't. And now Emily's life could be in the balance again. What if I screw up again, Doc?"

"Good question. Let's delve into that a bit more."

For the rest of the session they discuss what Morgan needs to do to confidently back up not only Emily but his whole BAU team. Self-doubt can be deadly in their line of work and Morgan knows if he can't get past it he cannot put himself out in the field. He wouldn't risk the lives of his friends again.


	13. Chapter 13

JJ is sitting on the bed going over phone records trying to find a disposable phone that appears around the same time as Natalie Brent's phone on a regular basis. She hears the front door open and the alarm being deactivated and reactivated. She sighs in relief and looks at the clock. It's 10:30. She had started to wonder if Emily had gone back to The Ritz after all.

She listens as tired feet climb the stairs and stop at Henry's room. She smiles as Emily sings a lullaby to the already sleeping child. The footsteps then go to Rocky's room and Emily sings the lullaby to the sleeping brunette. JJ giggles when she hears Rocky coo, knowing it had meant Emily had stroked a hand down the little girl's head and back.

"Our little love bug," JJ whispers.

A few minutes later Emily walks into the bedroom. JJ's smile fades and she gasps.

"Oh, Em!"

Emily stops nervously just inside the door. There are dark circles under her eyes. Those eyes are nearly lifeless from lack of sleep. Her whole body seems to be sagging.

"I, uh, sorry I'm late."

"Did you get any sleep at all today?"

"Uh, 45 minutes this morning after you all left but then a contact in London called. Then I lay down at 3 but got a call from Kazakhstan at 3:30 or so. Um, I think that's it."

"Damn, baby." JJ gets up and takes Emily's briefcase. "Go take a shower and I'll get the bed cleared off. Where are your phones so I can get them plugged in for you?" Emily hands them both over. "Okay, go on."

Emily starts to walk to the bathroom then stops. "Jen?" JJ looks to her. "Thank you for…for this when things are…the way they are."

JJ sighs. "I still love you, Emily. Being disappointed and angry doesn't change that. Plus I have to believe we will make things right."

Emily nods. "We will. I promise. I love you, Jen. I'll prove it to you. I swear."

"I know you will. Go on now. Shower."

Emily nods and goes into the bathroom. She turns the water on hot and strips down. Standing in the steam and water she sighs, letting it ease her aching muscles; hoping it will also make her headache feel better. So far the task force seems too far behind the terrorist cell to catch up to them in time. If they don't get good intel from overseas or from the BAU the things they have collected may not be enough to stop this planned attack.

When she finally gets out, she sees JJ has placed a clean silk pajama set in the bathroom for her. She smiles, tears welling in her eyes at this simple but loving act. As she is dressing, JJ walks in with a sandwich, a glass of water and two Aleve. It's too much. Emily breaks down and starts to cry. JJ sets things down and pulls her wife into a hug.

"Shhhh, Em. It's okay. It's going to be okay, baby. You'll see."

"Why…why the fuck…can I not…stop crying?" Emily hiccups.

JJ smiles and kisses her cheek. "Emotional turmoil, exhaustion, hunger. Should I go on?"

Emily just shakes her head, feeling a warmth in her soul that had been missing since she returned from Arkansas.

"I was so cold inside without you, Jen. I didn't even know it."

"I know the feeling, Em."

Emily leans out of the embrace and runs a hand over JJ's stomach. "How are they?"

JJ sighs and shakes her head. "I don't think this time, Em."

"Is it…because of me and all that I did?"

"I don't think so. It just wasn't in the cards this time. But we won't stop, will we?"

"You…you mean it?"

JJ smiles. "I believe in us, Emily. I know we'll make it back. And when we do we can try again."

Emily brings a hand up and strokes JJ's face. "Yes, we can. And I'm not giving up on these nesters yet. There's still a chance. I don't care about the job, Jen. If it's going to be an issue that causes us problems in the future I could walk away from it. I want you to know that's an option on the table. Even when I'm being a huge fucking ass, you mean more to me than the job. If I can't fix it, I will fight to fix us."

JJ nods. "I know, Em. Now, eat your dinner and take your Aleve. What time do you need to get up in the morning?"

"I have to be back at the office at 6:30 for a conference call with London and Bahrain."

"Ugh."

"Yeah," Emily agrees with a smile. "We're terrifyingly behind, Jen, because agencies withheld info from us. Harlan was able to get more for us today and I think we may be closing the gap. The only problem is I'm 99.9% sure the leak was from my team."

"I thought Garcia cleared them?"

"She did. Then I had her look into a few more things. She hasn't been able to get back to me yet so it's more a gut thing than real proof. If it is one of them anything we find out will be fed to the terrorists if I don't stop the leak."

"You set them up, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did. Gave each of them a scrap of info. We'll see what they do with it. Three of them will come back to me telling me it was a dead end. The fourth will come back with a lie. And I'll arrest their ass using the Patriot Act and bury them away until we stop the cell."

"Emily, if the mole realizes it's a trap they'll go after you."

"No they won't. The 'leads' came from a source in London. I just doled them out for follow up. I'm as in the dark as they are…as far as they know."

JJ shakes her head. "My God…the things you know to do…"

"Some things you just don't forget. One of those things is how it feels to know you can't trust your team. The only one I ever 100% trusted was Sean McAllister. I don't know why other than intuition. Clyde, Tsia, the rest of them, I could always see the hint of self-interest in them that could mean they'd sell me out to better their career in a heartbeat. These types of task forces can be huge stepping stones for agents with ambition. They are also perfect covers for moles. I won't let ambition or treason cost innocent American lives if I can help it."

JJ is shocked at the hard look that Emily's eyes had taken on the longer she talked. Shocked…and turned on. With all the crap between them emotionally she had nearly forgotten just how sexy Emily could be when she was determined to protect people.

"What?" Emily asks.

JJ smiles and shakes her head. "Just…damn…you can be so sexy sometimes."

Emily chuckles. "I have bags under my eyes you could pack this house in. I'm ready to fall on my face I am so tired. And you think I'm sexy. Do you have bad taste or what?"

JJ laughs. "Definitely 'or what'. Eat your sandwich."

Emily nods and does as ordered. JJ goes out to clear off the bed. Tonight…tonight she would hold her wife, hoping it's the first night of getting back to normal for them.

* * *

When Emily's alarm goes off at 4:30 JJ groans. Emily slaps it off and takes a moment to appreciate where she is. She is lying on her back. JJ is cuddled up to her, one arm across her wife's stomach, a leg across her legs and her head tucked into the crook of Emily's neck. Emily rubs her cheek up and down against JJ's forehead.

"_Just yesterday you thought you'd lost this, Emily. Don't blow it over job shit,_" she warns herself.

She carefully extracts herself from JJ's embrace, sliding her pillow between JJ's arms when the blonde whines in her sleep. Emily can't help but grin that JJ snuggles to the pillow and smiles in contentment.

_"Great…replaced by a pillow_," Emily jokes.

Emily goes into the closet and picks out a suit for the day. She also grabs an extra set of infiltration gear to add to her go bag. It's possible if things heat up she won't make it home again before the case ends. She'd rather have a couple changes of clothes with her just in case. She then heads into the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day.

By the time she is ready to go JJ is finally stirring. She walks over and sits on the edge of the bed. She threads her fingers into JJ's hair, lightly caressing her skull. JJ stretches and smiles up at her wife.

"Good morning."

"I woke with you in my arms so I'd say it was a great morning," Emily replies honestly.

"Charmer," JJ grins. Emily just shrugs. "If you need anything today let me know."

"If…I just want to hear your voice?" she clarifies.

JJ takes the hand in her hair and kisses it. "Definitely call."

"I will. Promise."

Emily starts to lean down then stops, not sure if that's pushing her luck. JJ reaches up and pulls Emily's head to her own. It starts out as just a gentle peck goodbye. Soon it deepens. And deepens some more. When JJ lets out a moan that begs for more, Emily reluctantly pulls away.

"I…we shouldn't…not like this. I…I don't want any regrets, Jen. The next time we make love I want to make sure we are both fully invested in it not just…just needing a release."

JJ nods. "I agree. Sorry I got so- -"

"No! Don't apologize. I was eager for more, too. But we need everything to be settled between us first."

"I know. Have a good day, sweetheart."

"You, too, honey." Emily strokes her hand through golden locks one last time then stands. "I…I love you, Jennifer."

"I love you, too, Emily."

Emily nods, grabs the extra clothes she had put on the bench at the end of the bed and hurries out of the room. When she gets to the kitchen she sees Francesca is already there enjoying a cup of coffee and the morning paper. The nanny looks at her in surprise.

"You are back, cara?"

Emily shrugs. "For now. We have stuff to work through and she may kick my ass out later because of it but for now we're working through it. I love her, Francesca, and I'm willing to do anything to show her that."

Francesca smiles. "Good, cara. I will say a special prayer for the two of you to heal your relationship soon."

"Thanks, Francesca." Emily makes a travel mug of coffee and walks over to the table. She kisses Francesca on the cheek. "See you later, Francesca."

"I hope so, cara. I truly hope so."

Emily smiles and leaves to start another day chasing down a terrorist cell. Maybe today is the day they find the break they need.


	14. Chapter 14

Emily walks into her office and sees a few things have been left in her inbox. She thumbs through them and sees nothing important. She gets her computer up and running and starts to review the things she wants to discuss on the conference call. She has just finished her coffee when a shadow falls across her desk.

"Morning, Leroy. Why are you here so early?"

He walks over and drops down in the chair in front of her desk. "Failure has me here."

She frowns. "What failure?"

"I followed that lead you gave me. Been at it all night, even at home. I keep hitting a brick wall. I've tried every type of search I can think of to figure out where that money came from but I just can't find it."

Emily sighs. "Damn it. Well, put it aside for now and we can go back to it if we need to. Or if you think of another way to attack it go for it. The thing is we can't spend too much time on it when we know the clock is ticking down to the attack. We can always track it after we stop the bastards and use it to hang more prison time on them."

He nods. "If you say so. I really am sorry, Boss."

Emily gives him a grin. "Uh, Leroy, why do you call me 'Boss' instead of Prentiss?"

He chuckles. "Had a girlfriend whose last name was Fentish. It kind of rhymes and we ended pretty badly. Truth is, she broke my heart and I thought she was 'the one', you know?"

Emily chuckles. "I see. Well, keep in mind there are plenty of fish in the sea. And sometimes that record swordfish turns out to be an ordinary tuna. Your swordfish will come when you least expect it."

"Maybe." He stands. "Going to go catch a nap somewhere. Have fun on the call."

Emily rolls her eyes. "Yeah, they are always so much fun. Good job tracking that lead, Leroy. I appreciate that you didn't give up until you were sure you looked everywhere."

He nods and heads out, still mad at himself for not bringing back a better resolution. Unknown to him, his failure is actually his passing grade.

"_You're not the mole, Leroy. Otherwise you'd still be pretending to search that money trail or would have used it to set up another false trail. Good. I like you." _

She opens her phone and makes a note to herself that Leroy is innocent. She taps the note app closed, glad the African-American man has proven clean. He reminds her of a young Derek Morgan: smart, eager, and a little bit of a maverick when it comes to rules according to his file. Hopefully he'll grow into as fine an agent as Morgan.

* * *

Emily squeezes the bridge of her nose as the agents in London and Kazakhstan argue with each other over who is right and who is wrong regarding a particular lead. When it looks like Harlan is going to just let the two men continue to snipe at each other, Emily slams her hand into the table.

"ENOUGH!"

Harlan jumps as the two agents on the computer monitor get blissfully quiet.

"Look, you two may enjoy these stupid little slaps at each other but can I just remind you that we have a very limited amount of time to keep innocent civilians, not to mention our country's lawmakers, alive? Stop fucking with each other and just give us the fucking information. We'll decide on this end if it's important or not. Just give us every damn bit you have. Grant, you start," she orders the man in Kazakhstan.

Grant clears his throat and starts to tell her the chatter they had heard on the radios as well as things their informants had imparted to them. By the time he finishes, Emily is nervous. It's Tuesday and from the sound of it the attack is set for Thursday. She looks at the other man.

"What do you have, LeMasters?"

"A potential target but it doesn't make a bloody bit of sense," he replies. "It seems like they are aiming to attack the Metro system in D.C. but another look suggests perhaps one of those open-topped tour buses."

Emily frowns. "We don't have those in D.C."

"Ah, right then. So maybe this is all a bunch of bollocks."

Emily thinks a moment. "Tell me why you think it's the Metro again."

"It seems like they are talking about best places along the rails to place the bomb for maximum destruction above and below ground. But then there's mention of the open-topped cars being not being detonated until they reach their destination in hopes of causing more problems at the station. Now unless you have some open-topped train cars it makes no sense," LeMasters finishes.

"Son of a bitch. It makes perfect sense." She turns and looks at Harlan. "The U.S. Capital Subway line. The cars on the House track are open-topped and so are the ones to the Senate Russell building."

Harlan swallows nervously. "Shit. If they set off explosives down there the concussion alone could kill everyone in the area."

"Plus it has the potential to cause a cave in, hurting even more people above ground," Emily points out.

"We need to find out when a vote is coming. The most Senator's and Reps will be in the tunnels at that time."

Emily shakes her head. "If there's a vote the access is restricted to voting members only. It would have to be when anyone could be down there. Busiest day of the week is always Wednesday. People are back from long weekends or haven't left for one."

"Shit…tomorrow? What the hell do we do?"

"We do what we've been doing since last week: we race the clock." She turns back to the computers. "Good work both of you. Keep your ear to the ground and call me directly if you hear anything else." She ends the session.

Harlan studies her. "What's going on with you? What do you know?"

"Harlan, someone on the team is the leak. I've been able to clear Leroy and I think Timothy. But the others are still question marks."

He gets angry. "You saying I don't know how to vet a team?"

"I'm not saying that. You know as well as I do anyone can bury a sleeper agent and activate them when they want."

Harlan considers what she's saying. "That's how the Baltimore location got cleared before we got there."

"Yes."

He glances at his watch. "Busiest time of the day on those three rail lines is between 10 and 2. If we assume that's when the attack will be we have less than 27 hours to confirm the players and stop them."

"I know. I need to make a few calls. And we need a team at our backs I know can be trusted."

"You want to bring your BAU team completely into the operation." She just raises an eyebrow. He chuckles humorlessly and shakes his head. "You already have."

"Easter taught me the hard way not to trust any of you. Damn right they are fully in. I know I can trust them to have my back."

And until she said it, Emily had no idea just how much she believed it. Bad decisions were made but nothing that was done was to further their career or to damage hers. It was just a twist of fate that Morgan reinjured his arm and there was no guaranteeing Rossi or Hotch wouldn't have been hurt by the spooked horse.

And she was the one that set herself up alone in the woods. She had gotten complacent, trusting the profile too implicitly and not allowing for the unsub to change his m.o. if a woman placed herself in front of him. Her anger at Hotch and Morgan over that should be anger at herself and only herself. Instead she had found reasons to blame the rest of the team.

"I'm a fucking ass," she whispers.

"Uh, why?" Harlan asks.

She had forgotten he was there. "Just a realization about something. I'll deal with it later with my shrink. Fuck!" She glances at her watch. "Gonna have to cancel my appointment today."

"You see a shrink?" Harlan blurts out in surprise.

Emily nods. "After all the shit I've seen and done, yeah. If I didn't I'd have probably eaten my gun a couple times the past year." She stands. "But that's a discussion for later. Right now we need to get with the team and weed out the mole."

"Patriot Act custody?"

"Hell yeah. We can't risk him or her letting the cell know we're on to them."

"Sounds good. Let's go." They start out the door but he stops. He turns and looks at her. "You investigated me, too, didn't you."

"Yes, I did."

He nods. "I guess after one of your old team members went rogue I don't blame you."

"I knew you wouldn't."

The two agents head to the conference room set up as their tactical center. Emily knows the first three conversations will be the ones that prove or disprove her hunch about the leak being internal. With less than 27 hours to go it is imperative they take the traitor into custody before they can warn their compatriots and send them underground or, worse, have them attack a secondary location. Emily glances at Harlan and opens the door to the room.

It was show time.

* * *

Hotch looks around the table. "Garcia, what do you have?"

"I have banking information that doesn't bode well for one Ken Farrelli. Lots of money going in then rerouting to another bank, then splitting and going to two other accounts where it is withdrawn and then a bank account in the Cayman Islands that is growing by those amounts each time."

Hotch raises an eyebrow. "You hacked his account in the Cayman Islands?"

"Do you _really_ want me to answer that, sir?"

He slowly shakes his head. "No. We'll pretend for now you found it somewhere else. What else do you have?"

"I asked for Reid and JJ to help me with the phone search Emily requested."

Hotch turns to JJ. "What do you have?"

"I have two numbers that keep popping up in the same area. Neither is Farrelli's. The government phone is issued to Natalie Brent. The burn phone was bought in Baltimore and was used several times in the area around the house that was raided but it also is used quite a bit in Brent's neighborhood. It has even been used in the Secret Service HQ when she was shown to be working."

Garcia frowns and sits up. "What? But that doesn't make sense."

"Why not?" Hotch asks.

"Like Quantico, their HQ is shielded. The only reason our work or personal phones work is if special software is installed that allows them to connect. Otherwise it's no bar city," she explains.

"So they bought a disposable phone and installed that software on it. How would they do that?" Hotch asks.

"They'd either have to have someone in the IT department do it or they would have to somehow get access to their systems and do it illegally. And no tech would do it with a burn phone because so many of those get tossed. We wouldn't want the tech to fall into the wrong hands. That's why you all have to bring your demolished phones back to Quantico with you," Garcia states.

"Any chance the terrorists could have done it remotely? Hacked the system and done it from somewhere else?" Morgan asks.

"No. You actually have to place the phones in a cradle to do it and it takes a while to download the program. That's why I take care of it for you all when you get new phones. It takes time and it gives me a chance to touch base with the techs upstairs just to keep aware of what's going on since I'm so removed from that department most of the time."

"Does Brent have a tech background?" Rossi asks.

Morgan shakes his head. "I helped check them out. Nothing says techie."

"But Timothy Noth has a tech background. And he's CIA," Reid points out.

"You think he could set her up?" Morgan asks.

"I wouldn't put it past them," Reid answers, his dislike of the CIA understandable after his run-ins with Reginald Cervantes.

"So can we at least definitively say that someone on her team is a traitor?" Hotch asks.

The agents slowly look at each other. They all nod.

"I thought so," Hotch said. "But we still don't know who. We need to figure it out soon. Emily called me a few minutes ago. They believe the attack is tomorrow on the Congressional subway system during the lunch hours."

"Tomorrow?!" Garcia screeches. "I'm still running…I need more…SHIT!"

She gets up and hurries out of the room to try to speed up some of the searches she has running. Hotch turns back to the rest of the team.

"Additionally, Emily wants us fully involved. She trusts us to have her back."

"Really?" Reid voices everyone's surprise.

"Really. She knows there were mistakes made in Winslow but her own actions were to blame as much as anyone else's. She wants us to talk it all out after this is over. For now, let's focus on what she's looking for from us. She wants us to spread out with her team and profile the crowds. We'll have full access to the tunnels and we'll be backed by a small contingent of Secret Service agents. Vests will be under shirts."

"Why the secrecy? Wouldn't it be better to let them know the police are on to them?" JJ asks.

"If they see us they could call off the attack and either go underground or hit a secondary target," Hotch explains. "They are mission-based and they probably have more than one contingency plan in place. We cannot afford to let them get away or let them set off the explosives. People above and below ground will be injured and killed."

"When do we go to D.C.?" Rossi asks.

"We don't. Emily's having the investigation moved here. It will be easier to detain the traitor and keep it from leaking if we do it here. There's a chance if we can't confidently identify the traitor we will take her entire team into custody until the threat has passed."

"What did she tell them about the move?" Rossi asks.

"She said they confirmed the target site is in Virginia and it will be easier to move in from Quantico rather than having to fight D.C. traffic. JJ, get the numbers you tagged to Garcia. She can track any calls that try to come into them. We're going to block those phones and make sure no calls can get out on either line."

"Yes, sir," she responds.

Hotch stares at each team member in turn. "I know the personal shit with Emily is still there. We're mad, she's mad but I know I can count on you to ignore that for the good of the nation. I have faith that we will stop these men together as a team as we've done in the past. When it's over, then the personal can be dealt with."

The agents all nod. They know their job trumps their emotions.

* * *

Emily studies each member of her team carefully. They are cleared to use lights and sirens to Quantico. That should get them there in 45 minutes. During that time one of them could try to notify the other members of their terror cell. She steps into the hallway and sends a text.

_Garcia, I need you to trap and trace any call or text sent from my team's phones starting now. We've just told them about the move to Quantico and I need to know what they are saying and who they are saying it to. And I think it goes without saying, figure out where the person on the other end of the line is located._

As she steps back into the conference room her phone vibrates. She opens the text and sees an affirmative from Garcia.

"Good girl. I'll buy you something pretty," she whispers to the phone with a smile.

She looks back at her team. Her conversations with Noth, Brent and Farrelli had not gone as planned. All are still working on the false leads she gave them. Only Allen had given up. She was starting to doubt her conclusion he was innocent. She was starting to doubt her whole team. She had less than 24 hours to stop the right one. The consequences would be deadly if she failed.


	15. Chapter 15

At 3 p.m. the combined teams are once again pouring over data from overseas and Stateside operatives alike. They were in one of the large conference rooms on the first floor in deference to the number of people working…and to put fewer people in danger if the arrest of the leak turned violent.

As Morgan scans a report with physical descriptions of the potential cell members he frowns.

"Prentiss, how do we not have any pictures of these guys?"

"True identities are speculation only. We do know they attended a training camp in Pakistan within the last 5 years."

"How do we know that?"

"One member of the cell was arrested in Germany trying to fly to the Canada. He finally gave up certain pieces of information once he was returned to Kazakhstan. His story of the camp was backed up by drone footage. But the men wore complete head wraps so their faces were not picked up by the camera. Their heights are right but we know other physical characteristics could be different now. The key to spotting them will be seeing the person looking too calm and carrying a large backpack."

"Say what?" Reid asks in confusion.

"They will be in business clothes and blend in just like the others using the rail line. They will have a backpack or computer bag that will appear heavier than you would expect. They will not appear scared, anxious or even stressed. They are confident they are doing the right thing and are ready to die to accomplish their goal. Staffers, Congressmen, businessmen always seem in a hurry and stressed. They have a place to be and a short time to get there. Our unsubs will not be in any sort of hurry."

Emily watches as each person takes in that information. Her eyes narrow as she sees Farrelli trying to text. He frowns.

"Hey, my phone isn't working."

Emily raises an eyebrow. Only Brent's phone and the burn phone were supposed to be jammed. She looks over and sees Hotch is staring at her. She can read the look in his eyes: that makes no sense to him, either. Hotch steps out of the room to call Garcia and have her double check the blocked numbers. Emily approaches Farrelli.

"Is that your work phone?"

Farrelli nods. "Yeah. It should have standard protocols on it to avoid the government blocks."

"Quantico is a bit different," Emily explains. "You have to have an additional protocol added on. Sometimes it's forgotten or just ignored if they don't think you'll have business here."

"Damn it. Can anyone here fix it?"

"Maybe. Don't worry about it right now. Let's just stay focused on the information we need to stop the attack."

He just nods and pockets the phone. Well, more like government issued clock at this point.

* * *

Hotch bursts into Garcia's lair. "Double check the numbers you blocked. Farrelli's phone wouldn't work."

Garcia rolls to another computer and types a few things. "Based on what I have his phone should work."

"Call it."

Garcia does but it goes straight to voicemail. She shakes her head. "I don't understand."

"Try Brent's line. If it goes through claim wrong number."

Garcia dials Brent's number and it, too, goes to voicemail. She looks at Hotch. "Why wouldn't their phones have the proper protocols on it?"

"Could it be the tech forgot to put them on?"

"No way, sir. And he didn't seem to notice it wasn't working when they were at their office."

"Garcia, jam all the phones." Hotch thinks carefully. "We need to find out who he rode here with. That's the mole."

Hotch pulls out his phone and calls Emily. When she answers he gives an order. "Just say yes when I say the name of the agent that rode here with Farrelli. Brent." No response. "Noth." No response. "Allen."

"Yes."

"He's the mole. He swapped phones with Farrelli, most likely switching the SD card since the serial numbers were used to block the signals." Hotch starts to make his way back to the conference room.

"I see. That doesn't make sense, sir," Emily says carefully.

"It's the only possibility. We need to isolate those two and start to question them."

"Understood. I'll get Morgan to assist me with that."

"Good. Take Farrelli. Rossi and I will deal with Allen."

"Right."

Hotch tries to will the elevator to move faster. He hurries out before the doors open completely. As he starts down the hallway he sees Morgan, Emily and Farrelli heading towards another conference room. He walks into the task force room and gives a pointed look to Rossi. He glances around but doesn't see Allen. Rossi walks up.

"What's going on?"

"Where's Allen?" he whispers.

"Went to the bathroom a second ago."

"We need to find him and secure him."

Hotch and Rossi go out into the hall. They intercept Allen as he leaves the bathroom.

"We need to speak with you," Hotch says.

Allen looks from one man to the other. "What's this about?"

"Your phone."

"What?"

"This way. Let's talk," Rossi insists as they make their way to another room. Once inside, Rossi holds out his hand. "May I see it?"

Allen takes his phone off his hip. "Sure. Here."

Rossi takes it and starts to look it over. Hotch looks at Allen.

"Has your phone been with you all day?"

"Uh, yeah. I mean, I may have left it on the table when I went to the bathroom or something but ever since we left D.C. it's been on my hip."

"Hotch, this isn't his phone."

Both men look over. "What?"

Rossi holds up the phone and shows a picture in the gallery. It's a self portrait of Natalie Brent and a Middle Eastern-looking man.

"Holy shit," Hotch mutters.

Allen immediately understands. The three race back to the task force room.

"Where's Brent?" Hotch demands.

JJ and Reid look up. "Bathroom," JJ answers. "Uh, come to think of it, she's been gone a while."

"Come on. You need to check," Hotch says.

"Okay," she says, sensing the urgency.

She follows them down the hall and goes into the bathroom. "Brent, you in here?" No answer. "Brent?" She checks all the stalls and goes back out. "She's not in there."

Hotch and Rossi race towards the front door, JJ right behind them. They get out into the parking lot and see one of the Secret Service sedans is already gone.

"Rossi, get with security. We need to stop that car before it gets off base."

Rossi is racing back in the building. Hotch and JJ run across the parking lot, trying to see if Brent is really gone. They check all the aisles but the car is gone. Hotch pulls out his phone.

"Prentiss, it was Brent. And she's in the wind."

"Son of a BITCH!"

"Rossi is contacting base security but if she took off when I called you or when you took out Farrelli she could be gone by now."

"And she had lights and sirens to assist her. So what exactly happened?"

"She changed out her SD card with Farrelli and her phone with Allen's. Most likely the burn phone SD card is in one of them. She covered her ass."

Emily is pinching the bridge of her nose. They'd been played and it's something she should have seen coming. Of course the agent would be expecting to get caught this close to action time. The minute they decided to move to Quantico she assumed the worst and made her move. They had missed their chance to profile her and out her.

"Anything?" Emily asks as she meets them in the lobby.

JJ shakes her head. "She wasn't anywhere in the parking lot. We missed her."

"Fuck!"

Rossi runs up. "MP's stopped her."

"Good. Then I can kill her," Emily states as she starts towards the parking lot.

She gets in her sedan, the other three piling in with her. She turns on lights and sirens and races towards the front gates. She sees three MP vehicles surrounding the sedan. Their gun are drawn and Brent is not getting out. She parks and starts towards the car. JJ grabs her arm.

"EMILY! NO! She could shoot you."

"She won't. Trust me." JJ doesn't let go. Emily stares into her eyes. "Jen…trust me."

Something in her wife's eyes convinces JJ to let go. Emily starts towards the cars. She glances at the MP's.

"Unless she shoots me dead hold your fire."

"Yes, ma'am," they reply.

"You had to stipulate your death," JJ mumbles in irritation.

Emily walks up and taps on the window. "It's over, Brent. Get out."

Brent holds up her phone. "Your analyst jammed all the phones, didn't she."

"As soon as they knew there was something off with Farrelli and Allen. Just left you, Noth, and Wayans."

Brent chuckles. "Think Harlan's figured it out yet?"

Emily grins. "Nah, he's probably still trying to get a call through."

The two women stare at each other a moment. "I'm not going to tell you anything."

"I know. Just answer me this: why?"

"My father was a scientist. He was killed in the Persian Gulf War when he went back to help his country fight the American Incursion."

"He's Iraqi. Strange, your bio lists your dad as American."

"Stepdad. He raised me. Several years back I was able to erase the existence of my birth father from my records. Started working my way up to where I could be most useful to the cause."

"I see." Emily thinks a second. "I don't get it. You were raised here, educated here, is it really so bad you want it destroyed?"

"If you have to ask you will never understand."

Emily laughs. "Right. Biggest load of bullshit I've ever heard. Just admit you have no idea what the real reason for the hatred is. You drank the Kool-Aid and now you're just a blind follower. The only difference between you and the bastards we'll stop tomorrow is you'll spend your life in jail. They'll probably die for a lost cause."

"You're half right. They'll die tomorrow." She shrugs. "I'll die today."

She lifts her gun and puts it under her chin. Emily's eyes widen. "NO!"

The gun goes off.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Another wedding tonight so I'm posting early. Hope y'all don't mind. :o)**

* * *

Emily sits on the front end of the sedan. JJ stands in front of her.

"You know you couldn't have stopped her."

"I know. Should have seen it coming. She was too calm."

"So the Marines should have shot her? You should have? No matter what it ends the same. Or she could have returned fire injuring you or anyone else. The bright side is she couldn't get a warning out to the bombers."

"She might have. We won't know for sure what she did or didn't do until we finish tracking all the calls on the phones affected by her duplicity. Hell, she could have had another burn phone, made the call and flushed the damn thing before we left D.C." Emily sighs. "I didn't suspect her. We're so used to men being the terrorists we forget women can be, too. What if I missed something, Jen?"

"You didn't. And even if you did, so what? The only thing you can do right here, right now, is focus on tomorrow."

Emily slowly nods. "She's…she's the second LEO I've watched commit suicide."

"I know," JJ says, shivering as she remembers the confrontation with Sheriff Delpy that had occurred in her old office. "Neither time was it your fault, Emily. Neither time." She takes Emily's face in her hands and stares into her eyes. "Now, I can't believe I'm about to say this so listen carefully as you may never hear it again. Take all your emotions, all the 'what ifs' fucking with your head, and put them in a compartment and seal it with cement. I swear I will help you face them later."

Emily smiles. "Can I point out at some point how you told me to compartmentalize?"

"You're allowed to bring it up once. Twice if you save the day tomorrow."

Emily chuckles. "Deal." She stands. "Come on. Let's get back to work." She stares as the black body bag is loaded into the coroner's van. "She being kept here?"

"Yeah."

"Good." They walk over to Hotch and Rossi. "Ready to go back?"

Hotch studies Emily. "You okay?"

"There will be time to worry about feelings later. Right now we have an attack to stop. I want Garcia tearing into Brent's cyber life like a bulldozer. We need to know what she knew. And we need to know who she knew. She was able to warn the bastards in Baltimore to run. Did she warn anyone else?"

The four agents get in the sedan and drive back to the office. By the time they get there Hotch, Rossi and JJ have all seen the change come over Emily as she did, indeed, get her emotions shut away. She practically marches into the conference room.

"Brent is dead. Ate her gun because she was the mole. This shit could have been over with the raid in Baltimore but she tipped them off. Her death is not going to be announced. As far as her cell knows she's alive and ready to warn them if we figure out where they are attacking."

Allen throws up his hands in frustration. "There are too many damn Metro targets in Virginia. We'll never get it narrowed down to the right station or stations if you're right about it being tomorrow."

"We already know the target."

Her remaining team members exchange looks of shock and confusion. Noth speaks first. "What the hell?"

"I knew one of you was the mole. That's why I brought in the BAU. I knew their backgrounds were clean. This was about national security so wipe away your tears and ignore your bruised egos. Tomorrow between 10 and 2 suicide bombers will try to destroy the Capital Subway system. At least one bomb will be in the House or Senate open air car. The others could be in the tunnels or in the cars themselves."

"That's why you mentioned staffers earlier, isn't it?" Noth says.

"Yes."

"Damn. I just thought you meant Metro riders in general since so many work for the government. I never even thought about the Capital rail. How the fuck will they get access to it?" Farrelli asks.

"They most likely have i.d.'s giving them access. Some will look like staffers. Some will probably look like maintenance workers so they can access parts of the tunnel that will allow them to do maximum damage to the street above." She plugs a flash drive into the projector and turns on the wall screen. It shows a map of the underground system. "We will have teams where you see red dots. We'll deploy into position at 7 a.m. We're in for a long day but by the end of it the world will be a little bit safer. Any questions?"

"Who will be in which red dot?" Allen asks.

Emily clicks the mouse and the assignments come up. Hotch and Allen will be at the House station. Reid and Noth at the Central Senate station. Morgan and Emily will be in the tunnel to the Russell Building. Rossi and Farrelli will be in the tunnels leading to the Dirksen building. She lists off each team.

"JJ, I want you in the Capital Police Office with Garcia studying the security cameras. You'll be our eyes and ears in the sky. There will be additional officers deployed at the stations in each of the buildings but the open nature of the Capital, even in the wake of 9/11, means citizens can get in. If they can get in, they can figure out ways to stay in. There will be additional security sweeps there throughout the night but it's possible someone could be missed. In transmissions intercepted overseas the open air cars servicing the House Rayburn station and the Senate Russell building were mentioned and will probably be targeted to carry an explosive right into the station. It will cause maximum damage there considering the number of people usually in the stations during lunch hours."

"How will they get the bombs past security?" Reid asks.

"My guess is they are already in the building. When I leave here I'll be going to the Capital to oversea the additional security sweeps." JJ looks up sharply at this announcement. "If there are any developments overnight I will let you all know via text."

"So you going to turn our phones back on, Boss?" Allen asks with a grin.

"As long as you promise not to call any porn lines," she jokes.

"You take all my fun away, Boss."

Emily gives him a wink. "Any questions?" She looks around the room. She sees the anger in JJ's eyes but doesn't have time to deal with it. "Good. Call me if you need anything or think of any questions. If not, see you at the Capital Security Office tomorrow morning. Get some sleep tonight."

She turns off the computer and goes to pack up her things. JJ is by her side immediately.

"And what about sleep for you?"

"I'll catch a nap at the security office. I want to be onsite if anything happens tonight. If we manage to catch one terrorist I want the chance to interrogate him to see if he'll give up anything that can help us."

"Christ, Emily! Why the fuck not go home and just have someone call you? Why do you have to be there?"

Emily straightens up and glares at JJ. "My team, my op, my decision. If you don't like it, Agent Jareau, you don't have to be part of this."

JJ is stunned into silence. Emily finishes packing her briefcase and walks up to Hotch. "See you in the morning."

He nods. "Be careful tonight."

"I will be."

"I meant about more than the op," he says with a glance at JJ.

Emily takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "I have a job to do. The personal can be dealt with later."

"Maybe so. But don't walk out of here without at least telling her you love her. I know you well enough to know you'll regret it later if you leave that undone."

Emily slowly nods. She turns around and walks back over to her wife. JJ is concentrating on gathering her things together.

"Jennifer," Emily says softly.

JJ doesn't look up. "Yes, Agent Prentiss?"

Emily sighs. "I deserved that. Look, I have to do this my way. I have to do what I can to protect the people on my team; you included. Easter left my ass hanging in the wind. I won't repeat his mistakes." JJ slowly looks up. "I couldn't handle being the reason you or anyone on this team was injured. Or worse. I have to know I did everything in my power to keep you all safe."

JJ nods. "I get that. Thank you for explaining."

"I love you, Jennifer. Trust me when I say all I want is to be going home with you tonight to spend time with our children."

"Can I ask…why I am in the security office and not in the tunnels or stations?"

"I know you think the nesters aren't there but in case they are…well, I wanted you in the safest place possible. Call it team leader's prerogative," she finishes with a smile.

JJ smiles. "Thank you. Now, I need you to make me a promise: Promise me you will not die or get hurt tomorrow. I don't care if it's a lie, Emily. Promise me."

Emily ignores the others still in the room. She pulls JJ close and gives her a deep kiss. When it ends she stares into her wife's eyes.

"I promise."

* * *

"Hi, Mama!"

"Hey, Champ! Were you a good boy today?"

"Si, Mama. Henry always good."

Emily chuckles, thinking of some of his tantrums. "Yes, he is. Mostly. Did you get to go swimming today?"

"Si. Showed Wok how to kick."

"That's great, Henry. You're a wonderful big brother."

"Si, Henry is."

Emily laughs. "And humble, too. So, Henry, I won't be home tonight. I have to go track down a bad guy."

"Being Batman?"

"Yep, I'm being Batman. Spiderman will be home soon, though. Can you give her an extra hug and kiss for me at bedtime?"

"Si, Mama. Henry love Mommy."

"I know you do. I love you so much, Henry. I am so proud to be your Mama."

"Love you, Mama. Proud of you."

"Thanks, Champ. Think I can speak to Rocky for a minute?"

""Kay, Mama. Love you!" he reiterates.

"Love you, too." She replies with a smile.

"MAMA! LOVE!"

Emily's heart melts as it always does when her children speak. "I love you, too, Rocky. I heard you had fun in the pool today."

"Yes!" She starts to babble on.

Emily is excited when she makes out a few more words, including pool and 'Ree, her way of saying Henry. Her little baby was becoming a little girl. Tears well in Emily's eyes. How the hell had she just walked out on her wife and kids? She clears her throat.

"Sounds like…" she coughs again. "Sounds like you had a great day, Sweet Girl. I am so happy for you. I love you so much, Rocky."

"Love Mama."

"And for all this time I've been gone I will make it up to you, Rocky. To you and your brother both. And your Mommy, too. I promise, Sweet Girl, I will get better and make it all up to you."

"Pool, Mama."

Emily just smiles. She'd take that as an "Okay, Mama". "I have to go now, Rocky. Can I talk to Aunty Francesca?"

"Mama Bye."

"Goodnight, Sweet Girl."

"Emily?"

"Hey, Francesca. I won't be home tonight but it's because of work." She takes a deep breath. "I screwed up so badly, Francesca. I need…do you think I have a chance to make it right with Jen? Will I be able to earn her trust back?"

Francesca hates to hear the fear in Emily's voice. "Cara, as long as you really want to change, you can. And if you change, you can fix things with Jennifer. Stop running when it gets hard, cara. Your father ran instead of working on things with your mother. Don't repeat that pattern."

Emily smiles. "Thank you, Francesca. I needed to hear that. I love her. I'll fight to make it right with all three of them. I swear."

"I know, cara. Be safe this evening."

"I will be. Jen will be leaving early to join me here. But before you lecture me, I've positioned her far from the action to protect the nesters. All will be okay."

"Emily, it is bad, yes?"

"It can be. But I have two good teams working the case. I am confident we'll stop this…situation before it actually gets out of hand. Jen will be watching security cameras and directing us. I know she'll help us stop the bad guys."

"That is good to hear. I will make sure she gets a good dinner and plenty of sleep tonight."

Emily smiles. "Thank you."

"Now, who will do the same for you?"

"I will, Francesca. Promise."

"You best remember that promise, cara. You're not too old to turn over my knee."

"Yes, ma'am. I love you, Francesca."

"I love you, too, cara. Goodnight."

"Night, Francesca."

Emily hangs up and slips her phone in her pocket. Between the children and their nanny, her heart is even more settled than she would have believed it could be considering what the next 24-48 hours would entail.

"I'll make it right with them." Her mind strays to her BAU team. "With all of them. I know I will."

With a clear head, she continues the drive to D.C. Time to focus on stopping the bastards looking to harm her country.


	17. Chapter 17

When Emily reaches the Capital she takes two hours to do a full sweep with the head of security. She makes notes on places unsubs could conceal themselves or bombs. The agent does not like the number of civilians she sees still in the building. She glances at her watch.

"It's nearly 7. Is it always this busy still?"

"Some nights even busier. If they are running a filibuster or there is a contentious debate we could see it this busy all night. However, considering why you are here, we have asked that the offices on site try to empty by midnight. We've said it was for a standard security drill."

Emily nods. "Good work. At 12:01 send your two most efficient men to do a sweep and make note of anyone still working here."

"What about the outer offices?"

Emily shakes her head. "Your concern is this building. The offsite office buildings are being taken care of by those security officers. But it's my belief if a terrorist is hiding, he's here. There are more ways for someone to sneak in as a constituent or a citizen wanting to see how their government works. If they have done their research, which they are sure to have done, they will know where to hide and the best ways to get there without you or your guards seeing them."

"But what about our cameras?"

"All it would take is a proximity jammer or a hacker running a loop for them."

He nods. "Good points. So what more do you need from me?"

"Just a place to set up shop for now. And for your men to be more vigilant than ever. I'll brief your morning team at 0600. My teams will be here at 7 to brief and get into position."

"You still sure the target time is the lunch hours?"

Emily slowly nods. "Unless something comes up to change that theory."

"Out of curiosity, why not morning rush?"

Emily grins. "I was a child of diplomats. I know a lot of people in the political machine sleep in so they can sleep it off."

The man starts to laugh. "True, Agent Prentiss. Very, very true."

He takes Emily back to the security office and gives her an empty room to use as her headquarters during the operation. She plugs in her computer and pulls up the files that her team had turned in earlier in the day. Something was still not sitting quite right with her about Brent and some of the information Garcia had dug up. Thirty minutes after she starts reading she sits up straight.

"Son of a bitch…"

She grabs her briefcase and pulls out some printouts she had received from Garcia. She flips through and pulls out the two she is looking for. Turning to her computer she starts a new search, hoping to find even more than Garcia had given her.

"Damn, I wish I hadn't sent Pen home. Should have asked if she'd come with me," Emily mutters. She knows she can find the information but knows Garcia would have found it faster. She can only hope she will find it in time to save lives.

* * *

Garcia is pacing in the living room. JJ walks in after tucking in Henry.

"Pen, you okay?"

"Yes. No. Yes. Maybe. I think so. Maybe not. Yes?"

JJ grins. "I only asked once," she jokes.

"Jayje, have you ever felt something was staring you in the face and yet you're not seeing it but it's right there if you just knew exactly what to look for but you kind of do but you didn't see it even though it was obvious in it's not so obviousness?"

JJ stares at her best friend. "What the hell are you asking me?" she asks in confusion.

Garcia stops and stares at JJ. "I think I gave Emily information that needed a little more information to be good information."

"What kind of information?"

"I don't know. It's just…a niggling feeling in the back of my mind. I really think that I had something and if the stuff with Brent hadn't happened I might have seen it sooner and gotten more out of it."

"Okay. Still confusing but I think I've got the gist of what you're saying. Want to boot up your laptop and see what you can find?"

"No." Garcia takes a deep breath. "I want to go to Emily. I want to work this with her."

JJ frowns. "Now? You want to go now?"

Garcia nods. "Yes."

JJ studies her best friend. This is not a whim. This is not an over-reaction. This is a heartfelt need to solve the case.

"Call her, Pen. Tell her what you're feeling and thinking. Let her decide what you should do."

"Why not just go and force her hand?"

"Because it's after 7 and I have a feeling you won't even get in the front door unless she clears it."

"Ah. Good point." Garcia whips out her cell phone. "Thanks, Jayje."

"No problem, Pen," she replies with a smile.

Garcia punches Emily's prompt

"Prentiss," Emily answers without looking.

"I need to be with you," Garcia states.

Emily is taken by surprise. "Uh, what?"

"I think I missed information you need. I think…I _know_ it's there and I can find it but I got distracted by Brent and I need to find the rest or you will- -"

"Okay."

"- -miss something important and…uh, what?"

"I said okay. I know what you're talking about. I'm trying to find it myself but I can't do it as fast as you can. I'll send a car for you. You'll need to have your badge when you get here and 2 Capital cops will meet you at the road."

"Thanks, Emster. See you soon."

"No, Garcia, thank you."

Garcia hangs up and looks at JJ. "She's sending a car."

JJ nods. "I knew she would. Way to trust your gut, Pen."

Garcia grins. "Thanks."

* * *

Knowing Garcia is on her way, Emily steps away from the computer. She paces in the small room she's been given. If her suspicions prove accurate she needed to make some changes to the assignments. She'd put Morgan with Reid. She'd partner with Noth. If she's right he may be the second mole.

"But it doesn't feel right. The financials say Farrelli but I just don't _feel_ that," she says to herself. "And truth is something doesn't sit right with Noth being a mole even though he failed the test I gave him. In fact, he's the only one that failed. But he is eager to prove himself and let's face it, his 'success' with the false lead was more speculation than fact. Okay, so what about Allen? He gave up before the others. Was it because he accepted it was a false trail and knew there were better leads to concentrate on or was he just trying to prove he's not the mole by…fuck, Emily, now you're going paranoid with your speculation."

She paces silently a moment. She suddenly stops and turns back to the computer. "Follow the money," she mumbles.

She sits down and starts to try to find the money trail from Farrelli back to its origin. Is the agent really the one benefiting from this money or was it a set-up. Does anything in his background say he's had the ability and opportunity to set up this sort of money train?

Before she can finish the search, the head of security pops his head in. "Agent Prentiss? You have to see this. I think it's a bomb?"

"Shit."

Emily leaps up and follows him. "I'll need two of your men to meet my analyst at the front doors in about an hour. A private car will be delivering her here."

"Will do. They have the pictures of your team."

"Good."

He radios it in as they continue to jog to the location of the suspected device. They head down into the bowels of the Capital to the railway that leads to the Russell building. In a small maintenance closet they see a technician kneeling over a large cylindrical device.

"Report," Emily orders.

"Definitely a bomb, ma'am. Cell phone detonator. I was able to remove the battery from it."

"Good work. What's inside?"

"No clue yet. Waiting on a canister so we can remove it."

"Okay. When you get it dissected you need to recreate it completely: same size, weight, etc. and you have to get it back in this place by 4 a.m."

"Uh, why?" the tech asks.

"So the terrorists can find it," she says, eyebrow raised.

The tech and the security chief both chuckle. The chief pats her on the back.

"I like the way you think, Agent."

She nods. "Thanks. Should any more be found, same course of action. They need to think they can succeed."

"Understood, ma'am."

Emily heads back upstairs to her office. She goes over what she knows and what she suspects. There had to be one more mole. There just had to be. She suddenly freezes.

"Holy shit…it's so simple it's why I missed it."

She starts to run, needing to confirm what she's thinking before someone else gets hurt or the cell goes underground. Who better to set up a mole in a team? Who better to make sure the cell is warned? Who better to bury the truth and help scrub backgrounds, including an Iraqi loyalist father? Who better than the man who put it all together?

"Harlan, what the fuck have you done?"

* * *

When Garcia arrives at the Capital, she sees two handsome armed men waiting for her. She can't help but smile at them and flirt a bit.

"Well, if Emily had told me you all would be my escorts I'd have dressed up."

One man smiles as the other rolls his eyes. "This way, Agent Garcia," the nicer one says and leads her on. He is so cute Garcia doesn't even correct him about the "agent" title.

When she enters the office she sees Emily smack the desk. "Damn you! Why won't you tell me the things you tell Penelope?" Emily barks at her computer.

"Easy, Princess. The goddess is here to work her magic."

Emily looks up with relief. "Thank God! Get up and running, Pen. I have a hunch we need to play out. And if it proves accurate we're about to make the team very, very angry."

"Oh, why?" Garcia asks.

"Because I'll want them here very, very early to put an amended plan into action."

Garcia takes over Emily's computer as Emily closes and locks the office door. Emily leans on the front of the desk.

"The money supposedly going to Farrelli: Is it really all the money from the various accounts or just a small portion? And where does it start? And if just a small portion, where is the rest?"

"Okay, I can find that. Will take a little time but I can do it."

"Good. Then look deeper into Harlan Wayans. He's the big danger here. Brent was a sacrificial lamb. She ran before she should have known to run at Quantico. She knew to swap her phones. The only one who knew about the phones was Harlan. The only one who could have warned her to bolt if Allen or Farrelli were suddenly separated for questioning is Harlan."

"Oh my God! That's what wasn't right! I know just what to look for."

"Good, Pen."

"Look, it's going to take a while. Catch a nap. I'll wake you if I find something you need to see." She holds up 3 fingers. "Scouts honor."

Emily chuckles, thinking back to a conversation she once had with Hotch. "Were you ever a scout?"

"A Brownie. But the uniforms were so dull I didn't last long."

Emily laughs. "I so totally believe that. I'll be back in a minute."

She walks down the hall to where she can look out a window over the city. She hits her home number.

"Hey, baby. Garcia make it?"

"Yeah, she did. She's running down my hunch. If I'm right, and I hate the fact that I think I am, I'm going to need you all here earlier."

"You think it's a morning attack?"

"I think there's another mole and I think this one knows too much."

JJ is silent a moment. "Holy shit…you think it's Wayans."

"Yeah, I do," Emily says sadly. "It all fits. Stuff even you all don't know about. It just all fits. He's the one that vetted the team. Done right, he'd have found Brent's birth father."

"Unless he didn't want it found."

"Exactly."

"Damn. So you've been busy."

Emily runs a hand down her face. "You have no idea. They found a bomb, Jen."

"Oh, shit!"

"Yeah. They've disabled it and will replace it with a replica. If they find anymore they will do the same thing."

"Good idea. Em, if this op succeeds you'll have a lot of doors open to you."

Emily swallows. "I…I know."

"I'll support you whatever you decide. You're a good leader, Em."

"I'm too emotionally unstable to be a team leader."

"No, you're not. You're proving that right now. You can put it aside to do the job. You always could. You're just working on what to do when the job is done."

"And until I get a handle on that, I can't be a team leader."

JJ smiles. "We'll just have to agree to disagree on that."

Emily grins. "I guess so." She thinks a moment. "Jen…in case tomorrow…goes wrong…I love you. I'm sorry for walking out on you and the kids. Westfallen pointed out I was repeating a pattern started by my father; a pattern I fucking hated and still hate. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you for not being the one in the woods and I sure as hell shouldn't have been mad that you found Blair too late to keep me from…what happened. I was wrong."

"I was wrong, too, Em. I may not have been wrong about the case but I was wrong for the way I handled you in the aftermath. I should have seen what Penelope saw and I didn't. There's no excuse for that. When you shove me away you need my love the most. And instead I let you walk out that door and I got pissed at you. Maybe you deserved a little pissed but you needed my help more. I'm so sorry, Em."

"I forgive you, Jen. We'll work it out. Counseling or Doc or whatever it takes, we'll work it out."

"Yeah, we will. I love you."

"I love you, too. Get some sleep, baby."

"I will. You, too."

"Going to lay down now while Garcia works on my hunch. I'll be in touch if I need you all here sooner."

"We'll be there, baby. We have your back."

Emily smiles. "I know. I'll never doubt that again. Goodnight, Jen."

"Goodnight, Emily."

Emily hangs up the phone. She stares out at the city for a moment longer before turning and going to catch some shut eye before the big day.


	18. Chapter 18

"Emily! Emily, wake up! I have it!" Garcia says excitedly.

Emily pops immediately awake and swings her legs over the side of the couch to sit up. "Run it down for me, Pen."

"Okay, so I checked Farrelli's financials and tracked the money back to a bank in Pakistan."

Emily's eyes widen. "Pakistan! Holy shit!"

"Yeah, it gets better. The time the money started it's path to Farrelli, Timothy Noth was in Pakistan to help interrogate a man in prison over there."

Emily's eyes narrow. "So Noth set up Farrelli?"

"Totally what I thought. So I started digging on Noth. He was in Pakistan for 2 weeks and then supposedly flew back to the States. Only thing is, there's record of a ticket he bought to Bahrain, during which time Allen was there as part of a protective detail for a Senator."

"So he was setting up Allen?"

"Not necessarily. You see, Allen has two days that he shows absolutely no expenses for. Not a cup of coffee, no lunch, nothing. No one can go two days without having something on their expense report. It just doesn't happen!"

"So, Allen was doing something he shouldn't have been and maybe he was the one setting up Noth," Emily concludes.

"Not even CLOSE!"

Emily runs a hand over her face. "Why does this feel like the scene from 'The Princess Bride' when the Sicilian is trying to outsmart Wesley? Where's the point here, Garcia?"

"Getting there, Mrs. Impatient Pants. So, while Allen was mysteriously not spending money, our Mr. Wayans was also in the Middle East, though he was in Afghanistan. He, too, has a couple of days unaccounted for that coincide with the days Allen was missing."

And suddenly it hits Emily. "Holy Fuck…are you telling me they are _all_ fucking terrorists?"

"Would be a freakin' nightmare if that's what came out in the aftermath of an attack on Congress. I mean think of the headlines if the team out there protecting the public against terrorists was actually a team of terrorists!"

Emily leaps up. "Shit! That's what we were supposed to find and think."

"Yep. One member of you team, excluding you, is glaringly missing from the breadcrumbs I found sprinkled through cyberspace."

"Brent."

"Yes. Her record is pristine. But she made a mistake only a truly AMAZING hacker could find: she left a trail. She is the one that scrubbed her father's information and while you were in Arkansas she planted these trails that would make her team seem like major shits."

Emily shakes her head. "And she could have gotten away with it." Emily starts to pace. "No one would have dug the way you did, Pen. You'll get a freaking commendation and anything else I can get for you when this is done."

"And you'll buy me something pretty?"

Emily grins. "Count on it." Her grin fades. "But we're still missing something. Who warned her about the phones? And who told her to bolt at Quantico. What did we miss, Pen?"

They are both silent, pondering this a moment. Emily turns to the analyst.

"Any chance you can get the security video from the conference room. I need to see what she saw or heard or did before she ran."

Garcia nods and hurries back to her computer. Emily glances at her watch and sees it is just after 2 a.m. Garcia has put in a hell of a day. Yes, Emily will make sure she is recognized when the operation ends.

"Running to the restroom. Be back in a few," Emily says. Garcia just nods as she hacks into Quantico security and finds the right sequence.

As Emily walks into the hall she sees the head of the security heading her way. She doesn't like the look in his eyes.

"Four bombs. They got four fucking bombs into my building."

"Son of a bitch," Emily mutters. "Replaced?"

"Replicas nearly done. They'll be in place by 3 a.m. And before you ask, yes we're doing another sweep."

"Good. Between you and me, we're missing another player. We had a spy and someone warned her to run. So far we don't know who it is."

"But you will soon, right?"

"Yes," Emily says confidently. "They'll be shut down before my teams get here in the morning." She glances at her watch. "Or rather later this morning."

He nods. "Let me know what you need from me."

"If they are part of the group that arrives here just a place to secure them where they can't get word out to anyone before we take the suicide bombers down."

He nods. "You'll have it."

"Thank you."

He goes off to see to a few things. Emily goes to the restroom. As she splashes some water on her face she takes a good look in the mirror. She has dark circles under her eyes which are dull and lifeless. JJ had pointed out that a successful op means doors will open for her to lead her own team. Is she ready for that?

"Forget it for now, Prentiss. Go catch the bad guys." She smiles at herself. "Go make your son proud of Batman."

When she walks back into the office, Garcia smiles at her. "Got it, Emster."

"Perfect."

Emily hurries over and sits on the edge of the counter behind the desk as Garcia hits play. They watch as the agents in the conference room work on their various tasks. Emily watches herself answer her phone and have her whispered conversation with Hotch. Her eyes move to Brent. The agent stiffens slightly.

"Like she was beeped or something," Emily mumbles.

As Emily, Morgan and Farrelli leave the room, Brent stands. She gives the others a smile and walks out. Garcia switches the camera view to the hallway and they watch as Brent never even looks back at the other agents in the hall. She calmly makes her way to the lobby and out the doors.

"An earbud. She had to have an earbud in," Emily says. "She wasn't beeped she…" she stands. "Bitch! Garcia, is it possible she had instead of an earbud for communication she had an earbud that amplified conversations she wanted to hear?"

Garcia nods. "Totally possible. And, from what we've just seen, I'd say highly probable."

"She was her own damn informant. Probably had it in at the Secret Service HQ and heard Harlan and I talking about the phones. Damn it! And she left a trail to frame the entire damn team. Eating her gun was too fucking easy. Damn traitorous coward."

Garcia nods. "I agree. Where is the earbud?"

"It wasn't in the car or on her body. Most likely she tossed it somewhere outside the building. See if you can find a shot of her tossing it. If so we can get someone to retrieve it as evidence."

"On it," Garcia replies and starts to find the images Emily needs. "Em, I can handle this. Get some more sleep. Both teams need you at your best."

"I will. Once you have that done, you get some sleep, too. Okay? I'll need you as sharp as possible tomorrow."

"I will." Emily starts to walk away. "Em?"

She turns back. "Yeah?"

Garcia smiles at her. "I'm glad things are…are better between us."

Emily sighs. "Penelope, I am so, so sorry for ever laying blame on you for anything. I know you work insane hours, diving into databases and records we sometimes don't even know exist to save victims and protect us." She takes a deep breath. "You found Blair as soon as you could. I know that. I've always known that. But when I was scared and…angry, I just ignored the truth. If I was going to hurt I was going to hurt everyone around me. I am just so sorry."

"And what about the others?"

"I'll make it right with all of them. Hotch and I need to have a long talk. Derek and I do, too. And we will, Pen. All of you mean so much to me. I'm not ready to let you go without a fight."

Garcia stands and pulls Emily into a hug. "You won't lose us, Em. Just make sure you don't lose yourself, either."

"I won't, Pen. Not as long as I have Jen and the kids to remind me who I am meant to be."

"Then I know you'll be just fine," she says confidently.

Emily smiles, ruffles her friend's hair and goes back to the couch to try to get some sleep.

* * *

Emily's watch alarm goes off at 5:30. She stands and stretches. The couch wasn't the worst thing she'd ever slept on but it sure wasn't her bed. She goes to her computer and starts to review her plans one last time.

Is she still happy with the partnerships and assigned stake out locations? Yes.

Will JJ and Garcia be enough watching the security cams? No. Hmm…need to add at least 2 more sets of eyes up there.

Has she missed any place the terrorists could conceal a bomb or themselves? No.

Any chance her overseas contacts found pics of people to look for? She clicks into her email and sighs.

"No. Damn it. How do we find someone or someones when we don't know who we're looking for? They could be Middle Eastern, American, who knows. Every damn person we see is a potential unsub. Not fucking good," she mutters.

She stands and runs her hands through her hair. Time to wash up a bit and get some coffee. Her BAU team will be early. She smiles, knowing they are predictable and reliable. Someday she hopes they feel the same way about her again.

She walks down to the bathroom. She glances into another office and sees Garcia asleep on the couch. Emily pauses and smiles. Of all the team members, she thought Garcia would be the hardest to make amends with, especially when things with Morgan are still unsettled. But their ray of sunshine and hope had come through for Emily. Emily was determined not to make Garcia regret reaching out.

"So many things to deal with," Emily whispers. "But I'll deal with them all one at a time. And I will survive and persevere. That's what I do."

With determination in her step, Emily goes to clean up and get started on her day.


	19. Chapter 19

Emily is putting the finishing touches on the deployment orders for the extra officers called in to watch the platforms at the Congressional out-buildings as well as the ones in the Capital itself. Bomb sniffing dogs have continuously swept the buildings and would continue to do so until the operation comes to a close. She sighs.

"If this isn't the right day I'll lose my badge for spending all this money," she tells her computer. She looks up as Harlan rushes in, waving 2 papers at her.

"Just got this from London."

She takes them and reads the original message, not needing the translation. "The presents are being delivered today. Tonight we will sing Allah's praises by the light of freedom's fire." She breathes a sigh of relief. "Good news is: we're right about the attack being today. Bad news is: we're right about the attack being today."

Harlan nods. "Exactly. How many devices were found last night?"

"Four. We've replaced them with replicas. We have tagged the cameras focused on the hiding places and actually manipulated them to get the best shot possible. Agent Jareau will be in charge of watching those four camera's."

"Is she the best choice? I mean, does she know what to watch for?"

Emily slowly raises her eyes and glares at the man. "Yes."

He blushes, realizing he's just questioned the abilities of Emily's wife. "Uh, right. Of course. I'll be in the command center with the head of the Secret Service and the Chief of the Capital Police. Anything you need we will get for you."

Emily nods. "I know." She stands. "Any word on pictures of the unsubs?"

"No."

Emily sighs and lifts the print out of the man from Brent's phone. "So this is the only possible picture. And we can't even be sure he's one of them."

"Considering Brent's actions I'd have to think he is," Harlan points out.

Emily nods. "I know. I hate that her fucking apartment was scrubbed clean. She had to have ordered them to sanitize it as soon as she knew I suspected a mole on the team."

"True. But the techs haven't given up. If there is anything to find to help us they will call."

"I know. But we saw the Baltimore house. They will only leave what they want us to find." She glances at her watch. "I need another cup of coffee. The team should be arriving soon."

"I'll be upstairs. Call me if you need me."

Emily nods. She has just closed her computer when someone steps into the office. She raises an eyebrow.

"You all are early."

Morgan shakes his head. "Just me so far. I wanted…needed to talk to you before all this goes down."

Emily slowly sits down, trying not to betray the fear coursing through her body. "You want out?"

Morgan closes the door and steps to the desk. "Never. I have a few things to say but first a question."

"Okay."

"Why am I partnered with you?"

Emily stares at him, trying to read why this is important. Finally she answers. "I know how you work, you know how I work. Our location is number one on the probability scales. I want someone I can trust at my back if all hell breaks loose there."

There is a flicker of a grin on his face. "Someone you trust?"

Emily nods. "Yeah, someone I trust."

"Shit. That makes me feel worse," he mumbles. Morgan slowly sits down in front of her. "I had no right to be angry with you, Emily. And I am so sorry I was. I completely get why you're pissed at me and I hope, when all this is over, you'll give me the ass chewing I deserve."

Emily manages a smile. "It's not as much fun if you let me do it."

He chuckles. "Yeah, I know." He leans forward. "I couldn't have lived if Blair or Ridgeley had gotten away with you. Especially Blair. I didn't see him for what he was. My pride took me up into that park and I let you down. I promise you, Emily, that will never, ever happen again. This was a hard-ass lesson to learn but I swear I have learned it."

Emily smiles. "I believe you. Thank you, Derek."

"So, we good?"

Emily shrugs. "We're better. Still want to yell it out with you."

"Name the time and place."

"After all this shit is done."

"It's a date," he says with a smile.

They both stand and step around the desk. He pulls her into a hug that she returns with relief. After a few minutes they step away from each other.

"Prentiss, don't take this the wrong way but you look like crap. Get some coffee into you so you can protect my pretty ass," Morgan says with a smile.

Emily chuckles. "Such a charmer, Derek. No wonder girls throw themselves at you."

They both laugh. Together they go find Emily a cup of coffee as they await the rest of the two teams.

* * *

Emily stands in front of her task force team and the team from the BAU. She clicks on the computer and shows them the deployment assignments once more.

"Here is where we will all be." She clicks and 4 red x's appear. "Those x's show where explosive devices were found and replaced with replicas. There is no way those are the only four devices these bastards have. Based on what was left behind at the house in Baltimore I expect there are at least 6 more devices coming. They will be smaller, easily concealed in a backpack or briefcase." She flicks the screen again. "This is the only picture we have of a potential suspect. And we can't even be sure he's part of the plot. His apparent close relationship to Brent says he probably is but we can't get hung up on that in case he isn't. We do know the terrorists in the Baltimore house were of Middle Eastern descent."

"So we can racially profile the crowd?" Timothy asks.

"Hell no. That's what they expect. It's my belief that picture was on Brent's phone strictly to get us looking for that face and that nationality. There were other houses in the area they were using. The terrorists could be Caucasian, Hispanic, African-American, anything. Don't. Trust. Anyone. Tim, Leroy, Ken, you are partnered with experienced profilers for a reason. Listen to them if they say someone is acting out of character. Additionally, if anyone catches your eye, if they just get that little voice in your head talking, point them out to the profiler. Better safe than sorry."

Hotch steps forward. "The terrorists will be extremely calm. The staffers and workers are always in a hurry, always look like their mind is on several different things. The bombers have one goal, one job. The only time they may look at all suspicious is when they make their move towards the bomb closets. They will make sure no one is looking at them, they will try to blend into a crowd and simply disappear into the tunnel between train runs."

"What if they jump off the trains mid-track?" Leroy asks.

Morgan shakes his head. "They wouldn't do that unless they are alone in the car. That's not likely to happen on such a busy day. It would cause too much attention and an alarm would be raised by other passengers. They can't afford that."

"Will the attacks be simultaneous?" Ken asks.

Rossi nods. "Yes. The four bombs that they have stashed here will be set off at the same time. As people panic, try to help, first responders rush in, the personal bombs will go off. We're looking for 10 men willing to die for a cause. When the four bombs don't detonate on time we have to be ready to stop the 6 suicide bombers or there will be untold loss of life."

"Why aren't the bombs set to go off remotely?" Ken asks.

"A timer can be unpredictable," Reid states. "A battery could die, the timer could malfunction, a remote could be jammed. They will set them off personally because then they know the bombs will go right when they want them to. This mission is timed down to the second. They have synchronized their watches. They will be looking to pull this off with military-style precision. It's our job to disrupt that flow."

Leroy slowly shakes his head. "Wouldn't it be safer to evacuate the Capital? Tell people to work from home today or something?"

"Safer for how long, Leroy?" Emily counters. "They will wait, they will regroup, they will attack another time. Today we stop them and show these motherfuckers that they can NOT attack our government, they can NOT destroy our way of life, and they can NOT win against the best damn team ever assembled to combat these bastards."

JJ smiles as she sees Ken, Leroy and Timothy smile proudly at their leader. Yes, these men would follow Emily to Hell and back. They may not have been together long but she's earned the respect and trust of her task force. JJ's smile falters.

So what does that mean for the BAU?

Emily looks around the room. "Any more questions?" No one has any. "Then let's get out there and start to sweep our assignments. Get to know every nook and cranny. Know it better than you know your own bedroom. Let's do this, guys."

The teams split up. Emily walks up to Garcia and JJ. "Get to know the camera system. I know I was able to get a couple guys to help you but it's the two of you I trust the most. You know what to look for and what to be suspicious about. No pressure but you're our best bet to spot these guys from your eagle eye view."

"Oh, sure. No pressure at all," Garcia jokes back.

"Anything you need, anything at all, just ask for it. Call Harlan and he'll make it happen," she tells them. She then looks at JJ. "Jen, can we talk a second?"

JJ nods. "Of course."

Emily leads her down to the office she is using. They step in and Emily closes the door.

"I just wanted to- -"

Her words are cut off as JJ pulls her into a deep, passionate kiss. When it ends Emily sways a bit on her feet, her eyes hazy.

"Whoa."

JJ smiles. "Yeah. Be safe down there, Em."

"I will be. Jen, I love you. I shouldn't have walked out on the kids and you. I'm so sorry."

"I know, sweetheart. And, well, I got mad about you leaving them and had a hard time hearing what you needed. My mother gave me a heck of a talking to last night. She pointed out it was fine to be mad for the kids but not for myself. Yes, you unfairly blamed me but considering what your mind was dealing with it's not surprising you struck out a bit at me. I'm sorry I didn't see your needs. We'll work though it, baby. I promise. We'll make it up to each other. There is no other option."

Emily smiles and it reaches her eyes for the first time in days. "Thank God, Jen. I don't think I realized how much I needed to know things were settling down with you and with Derek."

"Derek?" JJ asks.

Emily nods. "Yeah. Long story. I'll tell you when all this is done."

"Sounds good." They share one more kiss. "I love you, Emily Prentiss."

"I love you, too, Jennifer Prentiss."

"Come on: let's go save the world, Batman."

Emily smiles, her forehead against JJ's. "Sounds good, Spiderman."

The two walk out of the office and split up to take their positions and await the terrorists.


	20. Chapter 20

Leroy Allen is a bundle of nervous energy. Hotch steps close to him. "Allen, calm down."

"Easier said than done, sir. I keep worrying I'll miss something."

"I know this is your first major assignment like this. But I know for a fact if Prentiss doubted you she'd have booted your ass from the task force."

"But Harlan- -"

"Wouldn't matter. Someone running a task force has final say in who is on it. If she didn't know you could do the job you'd be somewhere else."

Hotch studies the young man and sees something settle in his eyes. Leroy smiles, straightening his shoulders proudly.

"Thank you, sir. I needed to hear that."

Hotch nods. "No problem. Come on, let's check out the tunnel once more."

"Yes, sir."

The two agents amble down the tunnel to make sure things look the same at the closet concealing the inert bomb. As they approach Allen frowns.

"Sir, is it just me or has the camera angle changed a bit," he asks, looking up at the security camera.

Hotch studies it and nods. "Yes, it does." He keys his mike. "Jareau, check position of camera 1."

"Yes, sir," she replies.

* * *

Up in the control center, Garcia and JJ had been scanning faces of the many commuters going back and forth on the Capital Subway system. When she gets the alert to Hotch she turns her attention back to camera 1.

"Strange. It's been moved. Garcia, keep an eye on tunnel 1 as I review the feed."

"Got it, Jayje."

JJ uses the controls Garcia had showed her to run the video back a bit on an auxiliary screen. She watches as the camera suddenly shifts, obviously being moved by a hand off camera.

"Who the hell?" she mutters. She pulls up the feed from a camera facing towards the one in question. As she rolls the feed back and sees the back of a man wearing a custodian's uniform walk up and adjust the camera angle away from the closet. She hits her mike. "Hotch, man in custodian uniform moved the camera. He's about 5'8" based on his height to the camera, medium build, clean-shaven, Middle Eastern complexion, maybe early 40's."

"On it," Hotch replies.

"Teams, check your assigned closets," Emily orders over the mikes. "If you see the suspect, take him into custody as quickly and quietly as possible. Consider him armed and dangerous. Take a couple cops with you to deal with him so you can maintain your posts."

Affirmatives ring out and each team sets out to follow Emily's command. Garcia glances at JJ.

"She's good at this."

JJ nods. "Yeah, she is." She is studying the screens, trying to find the "custodian".

"Think she'll come back to us?"

"Pen, seriously, can't think about that right now."

"Right. Unfortunately it's all I can think about," Garcia admits. "I want our team back."

JJ reaches without looking and squeezes her best friend's hand. "So do I, Pen. So do I." JJ stiffens and keys her mike. "Reid, he's on his way towards you. Rossi, he's probably on his way to the closets in your tunnel."

"Then we'll make sure he doesn't get there," Rossi replies.

* * *

Reid and Timothy Noth split up to each watch the tunnel. Reid sees the man first and keys his mike.

"Suspect approaching the tunnel."

Timothy sees him and gestures to one of the extra police officers nearby. As soon as the man enters the tunnel and the public is safely out of his line of site, Reid keys his mike.

"Suspect in the tunnel. Noth and a cop are behind him."

"Copy," Rossi responds. "Maintain your position in case he has friends. We've got him."

"Copy," Reid replies. His eyes continue to scan the crowds as the prime time for the attack approaches. It is 10:15 and already he is starting to see more and more traffic. The timeline Emily theorized is correct. So far most of what she had said had proven right.

Reid continues to study the crowd but his mind strays to thoughts of Emily. He had simply been worried for her until he found out she was mad he had not volunteered to go into the woods. She should know he couldn't have done that for a number of reasons. But maybe just the offer would have been enough to appease her. But why the hell would she even expect that?

"She wouldn't," he mumbles, finally seeing the answer. "She let her fear dictate her anger. She lashed out at us because it was easier than facing her fears. Damn it, Spencer, you did the same thing after Hankel and she never flinched, never stopped trying to reach you. Time for you to return the favor. When this is done, you'll get your friend back."

He turns his complete attention back to the platform as a new wave of people descends the stairs to catch a ride.

Rossi and Ken Farrelli had concealed themselves down the track, waiting for the suspect to approach the cameras. As soon as the man raises his hand towards the camera the two agents step out, guns drawn.

"Freeze! FBI!" Rossi states.

The man jumps and turns to run…only to see Timothy and a police officer standing their, guns also at the ready. The man looks back and forth desperately trying to find a way to escape. He reaches towards his pocket.

"Don't do it," Rossi warns him, taking another step towards him.

The man turns his attention to Rossi. "Stay away! Stay back!"

Rossi steps closer. "You have no where to run, no way to complete you mission. Give up now or else."

The man spits at Rossi. "Or what?"

Timothy fires a tazer at him and shoots the man full of electricity. "That's what, motherfucker."

The man writhes on the ground. Timothy waits a second then sends another burst of electricity through the leads in the man's back. Rossi raises an eyebrow at the young CIA agent. Timothy grins.

"Gee. Finger slipped."

Rossi chuckles. "Right."

They get the man in cuffs and remove two large knives and a gun from his body. Two police officers take him away via maintenance tunnels so as not to alert the man's cohorts or alarm the public.

Timothy goes back to stand watch with Reid as Rossi radios that the situation is neutralized in their tunnel.

* * *

Emily sighs in relief. "Copy, Rossi. Good job."

"Noth gets the credit. Tazed the guy before he could do something stupid."

Emily smiles proudly. "Good job, Tim."

"Thank you, ma'am," Tim radios back.

Emily looks at Morgan. "Say 10 minutes to get from there to our closet."

Morgan nods and checks his watch. "That would put things in ready mode at 10:30."

Emily nods. "Then we can probably expect the first bombers to approach the closets at 11."

"I agree." He grins. "Things are about to get crazy."

"Oh, yeah. And I'm damn glad to have you here guarding my back, buddy."

He nods. "No place I'd rather be."

The two make their way back to the platform to watch the crowd.

* * *

"JJ, look at this guy," Garcia says.

JJ swivels around to look at the screen Garcia is pointing to. A middle-aged, dark skinned man stands staring at his watch.

"Odd."

"Even stranger: the train just left but he didn't get on."

"He's waiting for the right time," JJ concludes.

"Looks like. And from where he is in the Russell building, he is equidistant to the bomb closet. He could ride to the Capital and walk back or just walk down there now," Garcia points out.

"Keep an eye on him. Call Emily if he starts to walk into the- -SHIT!"

They watch as a Capital police officer approaches the man…and gets stabbed in the throat. JJ hits her mike as the man runs into the tunnel. She hears Garcia calling in the officer down.

"Emily, Morgan, suspect running towards your location from the Russell building. He just stabbed a cop in the throat. Repeat: he stabbed a cop."

Emily and Morgan race back into the tunnel from the platform, two cops with them. Emily responds to JJ.

"Is he carrying a backpack?"

"No."

"Keep an eye on the platform. He's the bomber but he's not the suicide bomber. Someone else will be arriving for the secondary blast. He could be in the Russell building or the Capital platform. Capital is the best bet."

"Yes, ma'am," JJ acknowledges. She turns so she can watch the platform at the Capital building and orders one of the other cops in the room to watch the Russell platform.

* * *

Morgan and Emily slow up as they approach the closet. They want the man to actually get a hand on the bomb. They want the video evidence to show the man knew where to go and what to do.

They gesture for the cops to hang back as they hear running footsteps approaching. A man comes into view.

"FBI! FREEZE!" Morgan orders.

"NO!" the man yells.

"He puts on a burst of speed and yanks open the closet, which had been left unlocked, just like the man who planted the bomb had left it. The man grabs the device out and steps out into the hallway.

"STAY BACK! STAY BACK OR I SET IT OFF!"

Emily steps towards him. "You do that, you die, too."

The man smiles. "I am at peace with that. Are you, woman?"

Emily nods. "Yes, I am. But today is not my day to die."

"We shall see."

The man screams a prayer to Allah and hits the detonator…

…and nothing happens. He stares at the device in confusion. He shakes it and presses the button over and over. Emily smiles.

"It's a fake. Now drop it and put your hands in the air."

The man throws the device at Emily. She ducks and knocks it away with one hand, grimacing as her thumb is bent back painfully. Before she recovers she hears Morgan's gun fire three times. She gets her hands back on her gun and the two agents approach the downed man. She kicks away the knife he had been pulling from his coat and kneels to check his pulse, knowing Morgan had her covered in case the man was playing possum. But the man's neck confirms what the three bloody holes in his chest had hinted at.

"He's dead," she says as she stands. "That's one detonator down."

Morgan nods and keys his mike. "Detonator in our tunnel was coming from the Russell building. Probable that the others will be the same."

There are a round of copies. Emily stands. "Let's get his body in the closet. Next train should be coming along in a few minutes. We don't need to cause a panic or force another one to act early." She keys her mike. "Harlan, tell the Capital police to treat the attack as a mugging for now. Do NOT let them spill what really happened. And tell them to call us with suspicions not try to take them down themselves. These guys have proven they will kill to accomplish their mission."

"Copy, Prentiss. Dressing down has already started I assure you," Harlan comes back.

Emily sighs and looks at Morgan. "Good shots."

"Thanks. Nice block."

Emily grins. "Thanks." She looks at her watch. "It's almost- -"

Her words break off as the dead man's wristwatch starts to chime. She and Morgan exchange a look. She keys her mike.

"All teams alert: dead suspects watch alarm just sounded. It's show time."


	21. Chapter 21

JJ, Garcia and the two officers helping them are concentrating on the three remaining bombs. Their eyes scan the tunnels and platforms that lead to the closets. Garcia sees the man casually walking towards the tunnel to the Rayburn building.

"Hotch, you have a suspect easing towards the tunnel. Dark gray suit, no briefcase or backpack."

"Got him, Garcia. Good job. We're going in after him."

Hotch and Leroy wait until the man steps into the tunnel. They carefully walk towards that way, gesturing for two cops to come with them. As soon as they clear public eyesight they set off at a light jog. When they see the closet door open they pull their guns. They hear the man speaking angrily in an Arab dialect. When the man storms out of the closet he freezes when he sees four guns pointed at him.

"Hands in the air," Leroy says calmly.

The man's eyes flick to the four LEO's as if trying to figure out a way to get away from them and their guns.

"You have no where to go," Hotch assures him. "And you let us kill you you'll have done nothing to prove your worth to Allah. You'll die a pathetic, failed, thug instead of a martyr for the cause."

The man seems to consider this a moment before finally raises his hands in the air. "You can arrest me but you will not stop us. Put me in your jails and I will recruit many for the cause," he tells them with a smile.

Hotch and Leroy keep their guns on the man as the Capital police cuff him and search him. Hotch steps up to him.

"Tell me: who the fuck do you think you'll recruit at Gitmo?"

The man's smug smile fades as it hits him that he will not be in a cushy American prison but rather will be sent into detainment at Guantanamo Bay. The police drag him into the maintenance tunnels as he screams and cusses the American infidels. Hotch keys his mike.

"Second detonator secured."

* * *

Soon after Hotch and Leroy had radioed that they are entering the tunnel Rossi and Ken had seen another man approach a maintenance access tunnel. They know that leads to the third bomb.

Gathering two officers they make their way into the tunnel after the man. Much like Hotch and Leroy they hear cussing. Rossi grins.

"Emily taught me that word. It's not a pleasant one."

Ken just smiles. They wait until the angry man steps out of the closet.

"Surprise," Rossi says. "Put your hands up and save me a lot of paperwork."

The man looks around frantically.

"Man, you got nowhere to go," Ken warns him.

The man smiles. "I can go to God. And I can take you with me."

He pulls out a knife and races at the agents. Four guns fire. Four bullets tear into the man and he collapses to the ground, his knife bouncing harmlessly away. Rossi shakes his head.

"Idiot," he mumbles. He keys his mike. "Suspect dead."

"Copy, Rossi," Emily responds.

* * *

Reid looks at Timothy. "That means our guy is the only one left. Where the hell is he?"

The agents continuously scan the thickening crowd. In the control room, JJ and Garcia are concentrating on the platform area while keeping an eye on the janitors closet where the fourth and final bomb is concealed.

"Oh, crap…we nearly screwed up," Reid whispers.

"What? Why?" Timothy asks.

Reid nods towards the closet. "The fourth detonator is a woman." He keys his mike. "There's a woman in a business suit approaching the closet. No briefcase and she is staring at her watch."

"Got her," Garcia tells him.

Reid and Timothy approach the closet slowly with 2 officers. The woman opens the door just enough to slip inside. The four LEO's clear the immediate area and train their guns on the door. They hear shuffling, a flurry of angry words and then silence. After a minute they hear a grunt, a gurgling and a loud thump. Reid and Timothy exchange a look.

Swallowing hard, Reid approaches the door. He mouths a three count and flings the door open. All four officers wince as they see the woman on the ground, a self-inflicted knife wound to her throat. Though it is obvious she is gone, Reid steps in and confirms the death.

"Clear. She's gone." He keys his mike. "Fourth detonator dead."

"Copy," Emily responds. "All teams, the suicide bombers are coming next. They will be expecting the blasts any minute now. When they don't happen they will know the plot has been discovered. Be ready for anything. Shoot to kill. Repeat: shoot to kill. Once a suspect is down clear the area of civilians immediately. The bombs could be set to go off even without manual detonation."

There are a round of copies. Reid closes the door to the closet. "She'll be fine in there for now. Spread out and keep your eyes open. Remember the markers: too calm, aiming to be in crowds he doesn't seem to really be part of, and a large backpack that looks too cheap for this crowd. There's a chance the calm could turn to agitation as the main bombs don't go off as planned, most likely at noon."

"So they get to them at 11:30 and set them off at noon?" Timothy confirms.

"That's my assumption," Reid answers.

Timothy and the cops nod and spread out to watch the area of the subway system.

* * *

Emily is scanning the crowd when she sees a man carrying a medium-sized backpack sidle up to a group of young interns, who are laughing and chatting as they await a train. She slowly makes her way towards him, studying him carefully. Is he just eavesdropping? Is he maybe going to make a play for one of the interns?

He casually shifts his head and sees on of the cops staring directly at him. Emily sees the flicker in his eyes and his hand move towards the pack.

"EVERYBODY OUT!" she screams as she pulls her gun. "HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!"

He sneers at her as the interns do exactly what she expected: they scatter, putting distance between the bomber and themselves. The officers and Morgan are directing people to vacate the area. The man starts to curse at Emily in Urdu. She raises an eyebrow.

"My mother is actually a very religious woman as am I," she says to him, surprising him with her understanding of his language and the insults he had spewed.

"You may stop me but you can't stop us all," he warns her.

"Then I'll stop as many as I can," she threatens him. "I won't die for a lost cause."

He grins. "No. You'll die for mine."

He races towards her. She fires just as he hits a button on the side of his backpack and detonates the bomb he wears on his back.

* * *

In the control room, Garcia screams and JJ sucks in a breath as the cameras in that area are knocked out by the blast. JJ keys her mike.

"Prentiss? Prentiss, can you hear me? EMILY!"


	22. Chapter 22

Emily had fired as she dove behind a trash bin beside the tracks. She prays it's enough to protect her from the nails and other shrapnel inside the bomb. As the rumbling from the explosion starts to ebb, Emily pats herself down.

"No injuries. Good…maybe," she tells herself.

She slowly eases out from behind the trashcan and looks around. There is no sign of shrapnel.

"Oh, fuck…not good. So fucking not good." She finally registers that she can hear JJ's frantic voice from her dangling earpiece. She quickly puts it back in. "Prentiss here. I'm fine. But we have a problem. The bomb didn't contain shrapnel."

"What do you mean?" Morgan asks, jogging over.

She gestures. "Look around. Nothing."

"That doesn't make sense," Morgan says as she sees what she's talking about.

"It does if- -"

"Bomber spotted at the House Station!" Garcia interrupts.

Morgan and Emily stare that direction, as if they could actually see what is happening. The muffled sound of an explosion tells them the bomber had detonated himself. They hear Hotch come over the earpiece.

"Suspect down. Continuing evacuation."

Emily's eyes widen. "Evacuation…oh FUCK!" She hits her mike. "STOP THE EVAC! SHELTER IN PLACE! REPEAT: SHELTER IN PLACE! LOCKDOWN THE CAPITAL! NO ONE IN OR OUT!"

She takes off running towards the exits, Morgan right behind her. "What's going on in that head of yours, Prentiss?"

"No shrapnel in these bombs. They want us to do _exactly_ what we're doing: putting a huge crowd of people with their pulse on our laws out in the open."

"Where the terrorists with shrapnel laden bombs can do an insane amount of damage. FUCK!"

Emily keys her mike. "GET EYES ON THE CROWDS! WE NEED THE SNIPERS OUT THERE! NOW! SUICIDE BOMBERS WILL BE TARGETING THE CROWDS!"

Emily and Morgan burst out a side door. Emily stops long enough to look at one of the Capital police officers.

"No one in or out until the all clear signal is given by me or your captain. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"HEY! What the hell is going on, Emily?"

Emily stops and stares at a man she's known most of her life. "Senator, you'll know when we do. For now, stay here and stay safe."

"You get back here! I don't take orders from- -EMILY!"

Emily just ignores his blustering and follows Morgan out into the courtyard where passengers on the rail had started to gather. She races to a small wall and climbs on top, giving her a slightly better view of the scene.

"Teams 2, 3, 4, report your locations," she orders.

"Team 2 just exiting the building," Hotch reports.

"Team 3 already outside and trying to find a vantage point," Reid responds.

Team 4 nearly out there in same area as Team 3," Rossi replies.

"We know 6 of 10 are down," Emily tells them. "Keep your eyes open. Take them out before they detonate. Capital Police, try to get the civilians to disperse. The larger the group the better the chance they become targets."

The next 5 minutes go excruciatingly slowly. Suddenly Reid screams out over the earpieces.

"TWO SUSPECTS IN THIS AREA!"

Emily tenses as she hears gun shots ring out. She starts to scan the dwindling crowd harder, knowing that they probably deployed 2 to the center of the Capital where Reid and Rossi dealt with them. That left 1 to either end of the building.

"PRENTISS! THERE!" Morgan yells.

Emily spins, staring where he is pointing. She sees the man running towards a crowd of young interns.

"RUN!" She screams as she pulls her gun and leaps off the wall, racing towards the crowd. "SEPARATE! SEPARATE! NOW!" She stops and levels her gun at the man, realizing Morgan is right beside her. "FREEZE! FBI!"

The suicide bomber sees his targets have scattered. With a scream he turns towards Emily and Morgan. The agents stand shoulder to shoulder.

"LAST CHANCE!" Morgan screams.

With a war cry, the man moves his hand towards the button flopping at his shoulder.

Emily and Morgan fire into his head lest they hit the bomb, sending him to his God before his mission is accomplished. They clear everyone away from the man in case the bomb goes off anyway. Emily keys her mike.

"We need bomb techs."

"Moving in now," JJ tells her.

"Good. Teams 3, 4, status?" Emily asks.

"Bombers down," Rossi replies. "Farrelli took a bullet in the shoulder but medics are already with him. Team 3 is working to keep the crowds away from the bodies."

"Good. Team 2?"

"Just not seeing the tenth bomber," Hotch replies. "It's getting chaotic here. We need more eyes."

"Copy. Team 1 on our way."

Leaving the police and Secret Service in charge of that area the two agents take off at a run towards the other end of the building. They pass the scene in the middle that Rossi had reported on, glad to see a bomb tech already securing one of the bombs.

As they reach the other end of the building Morgan steps up on a bench to get a better look at the crowd. He sees police trying to escort people from the area.

"Where are you, motherfucker? Where the fuck are you?"

Emily had run on a little farther and climbed up on a different bench. She is also scanning the crowd as her earpiece comes to life.

"PRENTISS! THREE O'CLOCK!" Hotch yells.

Emily spins in that direction and sees the man smiling at her. She'll never get her gun up in time.

"EVERYONE COVER!" She screams dropping down onto the bench as the man detonates himself.

Her arms cover her head as she hears the nails and other pieces of the bomb slamming into the bench she lays upon. After just a few seconds, it's over. She leaps up and looks towards Morgan's position.

"DEREK!" She races towards him as he sits up from the bench he had taken cover behind. Blood stains his shirt. "OFFICER DOWN!" She drops beside him. "Where are you hit?"

He looks down at himself. "Not mine."

Emily is still running her hand over his arms. "What? Where are you hit?"

He takes her hands and stills them. "It's not mine. It's the fucker that killed himself."

"Are…are you sure?"

He nods. "I'm sure."

Emily breathes a sigh of relief. "Come on. Let's see who needs help."

She stands and pulls him up. They walk off to help control the scene…

…together.

* * *

In the control room, JJ takes out her earpiece and tosses it on the desk. She lets out a huge sigh of relief. Garcia takes off her glasses and rubs her eyes.

"That royally sucked," the analyst says.

JJ nods. "I second that. How many do you think are hurt down there?"

"Not as many as there could have been. Shit, Jayje, if Emily hadn't figured out that the bombs inside were to get people outside…"

JJ smiles proudly. "She's good."

"Hells yeah, she is."

JJ stands. "I'm going to the bathroom. When I get back I'll put in my earpiece and head out to see if I can help. Let her know if she contacts you."

"Will do, Jayje."

JJ slowly makes her way to the bathroom, rolling her neck to try to ease the pain and tension within it. In the bathroom she steps into a stall. When she lowers her pants she freezes.

"Oh, my God…that's not…not spotting…"

She drops down onto the toilet. A few days before she had thought it might be for the best if the insemination didn't work. As she lets out a sob she realizes she'd just been lying to herself.


	23. Chapter 23

It is almost 5 before the two teams finally come together in a conference room at the Capital building. Emily had been going practically non-stop for three days and it is starting to show. She leans against the wall as she addresses those gathered.

"Ken Farrelli is going to be fine. Collar bone was broken by the bullet but the doctors were able to set it. He'll be down for a few weeks but has already said he'll be happy to do paperwork until we find the other 2 parts of this cell."

Timothy Noth chuckles. "Damn over-achiever."

Everyone chuckles, knowing they'd all be the same damn way. Emily sighs.

"No deaths of civilians or LEO's. Minor injuries to a few. All in all it was the best fucking outcome we could have hoped for. I am damn proud of each of you and honored to have worked with you on this op. Trust me when I say everyone that's anyone will hear about the damn fine job you did in a very short amount of time." She runs a hand over her face. "So, my team, plan to be at the Murray address tomorrow at 9. We'll debrief everything that went down today." She looks at Hotch. "For now, we won't need you except to get your statements about what happened today. If we confirm the other two houses or take a suspect into custody can I call on you for further assistance?"

Hotch nods. "Definitely. If we're on a case we'll do what we can."

Emily nods. "Understood and appreciated. Now, you all go home, get something to eat, relax. You earned the downtime. I just wish I could give you all more than a night."

Rossi smiles. "Sounds like she's learned how to be a taskmaster from the best," he pats Hotch on the shoulder.

Emily smiles. "I hope it's not the only thing I learned from him," she says sincerely, her eyes locked with those of her boss.

He smiles. "Thank you."

Emily nods and stands up. "So, go on. Get home. Have a drink or two for Ken."

She starts to gather her things together. She glances up as JJ approaches. They had not yet had a moment alone.

"Give me a second, Jen. I want to- -"

"Emily," she says softly.

Emily looks up sharply at the sad note in her wife's voice. She studies JJ's eyes and sees the red rims from tears. She instinctively knows this is not about the day…it's about the baby.

"Oh, Jen…"

JJ can't speak. She just shrugs as the tears start again. Emily grabs her and pulls her close, fighting back her own tears to comfort her wife.

"Oh, sweetheart…it's okay. We knew it could take more than one try. It's okay, baby. It's okay," Emily just keeps repeating as her heart breaks.

"I'm so sorry, Em," JJ finally chokes out.

"Stop, Jen. There is nothing to be sorry about. If anything we can blame it on me. I put you under so much emotional stress."

JJ shakes her head. "Not all your fault, Em."

"I shouldn't have walked out on you."

JJ leans back and stares into Emily's eyes. "I wasn't upset for me. I was upset for the kids. Our kids. I…I thought our _three_ kids. But I let you down."

Emily leans in and gives her a firm kiss. She stares into devastated blue eyes. "Jennifer, at no time have you ever, ever let me down. I swear to you, Jennifer Prentiss, you have never let me down. I love you."

"I love you, too," JJ croaks out as the tears start again.

Emily just pulls her close, trying to hug away the sadness over the insemination not taking. Emily had planned to go to the Secret Service headquarters building and start her report. But now she knows her wife and children need her tonight. And they will have her.

"Come on, Jen. Let's get our stuff and go home. I'll take care of you tonight."

JJ just nods, glad to turn herself over to her wife for the night. The younger woman did not have the energy to think anymore today.

* * *

As Emily drives south, she holds JJ's hand in hers. She lets her thumb stroke over the wedding and engagement rings.

"You were incredible today," JJ says, finally breaking the silence.

Emily shrugs. "It was a team effort."

"No, Emily, it was you. You organized the two teams, the Secret Service and the Capital police. You figured out what the bombers were doing it in time to save so many lives. You were fantastic."

Emily raises their hands and kisses JJ's knuckles. "Thank you. But I couldn't have done it without you and all the others on both teams."

JJ sniffles. "The camera's got knocked out when the guy blew himself up on the platform. Until you answered I didn't know if you or Morgan or anyone was alive down there. I was so scared."

"In all honesty, me, too. When I realized I wasn't torn up with nails and rat poison I just knew we'd played right into their plans. Everything we did was just what they expected."

JJ slowly rolls her head and stares at her wife. "You think…it was a set-up. The whole thing?"

"Yeah, I do."

JJ sighs. "You're not leaving the task force, are you?"

"Not yet. Not until this is done."

JJ smiles and squeezes her wife's hand. "You make me proud, Emily. You could consider it a job well done and walk away. A lot of people would. But you see the bigger picture."

"I have to, Jen. I have to make the world safer for Henry, Rocky and the next little Prentiss, no matter when he or she happens to come along."

"My hero."

Emily smiles. "I told you once before: I don't want to be your hero. I just relish being your wife."

"Charmer."

Emily kisses her wife's knuckles once more. "Always."

* * *

"MAMA! MOMMY!"

"MAMA! MA!"

Emily scoops Henry up into her arms as JJ lifts up Rocky.

"Hey, Champ. I've missed you."

"Batman get bad guys?"

Emily smiles and nods. "Yep. But I couldn't have done it without Spiderman."

Henry gives his mothers 2 thumbs up. "Awesome!"

The women laugh. That was new. JJ nuzzles Rocky's neck.

"When are you going to start walking, Rock Star? You worried you won't be able to keep up with your brother?"

"Love Ma."

"Ah, ducking the question. Good strategy."

Rocky gives her Mommy a big kiss on the cheek. JJ hugs her closer. Emily runs a hand down Rocky's curly locks.

"Trade, Mommy?"

JJ nods. "Sure."

The women exchange kids. Henry gives his Mommy a big hug.

"Love Mommy. Mommy Spiderman!"

"Yes, I am. But Batman was the real hero this time. I was just the faithful sidekick."

Emily chuckles. "More like the overseer, really."

JJ grins. "Yeah, you're right."

Emily kisses her daughter. "But your Mommy was awesome, Sweet Girl. Without her Batman wouldn't have stood a chance."

JJ just smiles her appreciation at the praise. Francesca finally approaches the women.

"I am thinking you all need to shower and then eat?"

Emily nods. "Definitely on the shower. And, uh, since I can't remember when I last ate probably a good idea to eat, too."

Francesca reaches for Rocky as JJ puts Henry down. "Come on, children, how about we go watch a movie while your Mommies get changed?"

"Cars?" Henry asks.

Francesca sighs. "Si, Henry, we can watch Cars…again."

Emily and JJ laugh as Henry runs excitedly into the living room to watch his favorite movie. The two women slowly climb the stairs. In their bedroom, Emily starts to undress but moans as she suddenly realizes just how sore her body is.

"Em? You okay?"

"Just a bit sore. I'm too old to be diving behind benches and trashcans."

JJ chuckles. "You just figuring that out, old woman?"

Emily smiles, glad to see the spark in JJ's eyes. "Watch it, chicky."

JJ walks over and helps Emily out of her shirt and bra. She runs her hand over a bruise along Emily's left shoulder blade.

"Damn, babe, that's gonna hurt for a couple days."

"Yeah, I know. Let's hope I don't have to lead a raid or something anytime soon."

JJ glances at her. "Is…is that a possibility?"

"There are 2 more houses out there, Jen. The papers we found confirm that. Figure 4-6 people per house. We will find them and then, yes, I'll lead a raid on them."

JJ grabs her wife's face and gives her a deep kiss. "Don't you let them win, Emily. No matter what. And don't you dare let them kill you."

Emily runs her fingers through JJ's hair. "I swear to do my best to obey both of those orders. Especially the second one."


	24. Chapter 24

Friday afternoon Emily is staring at a board with all sorts of notes on it. Thursday had been (in her opinion) wasted on too many meetings and debriefings and media wrangling and other bullshit that didn't help them finish taking down this terrorist cell. Leroy Allen steps up beside her.

"So…anything magically change in the last five minutes?"

Emily grins. "Smartass."

He grins. "Yeah, didn't think so." He reaches out and brushes a hand over a note Brent had written. "Boss, can we really trust anything she wrote?"

Emily nods. "Sadly, yes. If all this had gone down as planned, if she hadn't been caught, she'd have bolted as soon as the first bomb exploded. Leaving behind these notes is just a poke in our collective eyes, Leroy. She would want us to put the pieces together after the fact to shame us but also to prove her superiority to us."

"But we caught her."

"Yeah, we did." Emily bites her lip a minute. "Leroy, help me find all of her notes. I want them separated out so we can look at them all together."

He nods. "Got it. Maybe putting all her little bits together will give us a different picture."

Emily nods. "Exactly. Her hubris that she was so much smarter than us could be the downfall of the rest of her cell."

They start to scour all the boards and walls for papers with Brent's handwriting. Soon they have all the notes spread out on the table. When Timothy Noth walks in after his lunch he looks down at them.

"What's this?"

"All of Brent's notes," Emily answers. "Profile on her says that somewhere in these notes is a clue to the houses we need to find and the people we should be looking for."

Noth slowly nods. "Because she would have felt herself superior to us."

"Right," Allen replies.

Noth steps to the table and starts to read the notes along with them.

* * *

Morgan sits at his desk staring at the wall. Something is bugging him about a case but it's not any of the ones on his desk. His is twirling his pen and trying to figure out what is bugging him about Emily's case. He finally stands and goes down to Garcia's office.

"Hey, Baby Girl."

"Hello, my god of chocolate thunder. Is this a business visit or are you about to make all my dreams come true?" she asks, batting her eyelashes adorably.

He laughs. "Business before pleasure, cupcake. Do you still have the background you ran on Brent?"

Garcia nods. "Yes. It's filed appropriately since we officially joined the investigation."

Morgan raises an eyebrow at the strangely Bureau-like response. Then the reason becomes clear.

"Are you still assisting Agent Prentiss, Agent Morgan?" Straus asks from behind him.

He turns. "Just had a thought I wanted to check on. I feel like…like we've walked away in the middle of the case. It's not a good feeling considering my partner is in the middle of it all."

Straus raises an eyebrow. "Your partner? Prentiss has impressed quite a few people. It's possible she won't be coming back. You _do_ realize that, right?"

Morgan nods. "I know. But even if that happens, she'll still be my friend and I will still help her when and if she needs it. And right now I think we missed something in our profile. I want to review it, on my own time," he stresses to the taskmaster, "and make sure we don't attend a funeral for Emily Prentiss."

Straus studies him a moment. "Very well. If you find something, make sure she gives you credit."

"I don't care about the credit," he insists.

"I know. But I do. Regardless of what you might think of me, making sure my agents get the credit they deserve so they can access all opportunities available to them is part of my job. You have a bright future with the Bureau, Agent Morgan. Feathers in your cap such as helping stop a terrorist cell will help you draw your own path." She nods to Morgan and Garcia. "Carry on."

She turns and leaves. They wait until she is far enough down the hall before analyst and agent look at each other.

"Pod person," they whisper simultaneously. They chuckle then Morgan pats Garcia's shoulder.

"Shoot me that info?"

"On it's way now. Need an extra set of eyes on it?"

He shakes his head. "Not just yet. I know you've got a lot to do for the open cases we're actually working." He pauses. "How's JJ?"

Garcia sighs. "Sad. She took the today and yesterday to just kind of get past it."

"Damn. Well, Rocky's birthday party is tomorrow. Think she'll want to postpone it?"

"I already asked but she said no. I think she needs a reason to smile. She said Emily offered to work from home today but Jayje sent her in. She just wants time alone."

Morgan smiles. "Which of course means you'll be stopping at Chateau Prentiss on the way home."

Garcia nods. "Of course."

He kisses the top of her head. "Good. Tell her if she needs anything at anytime to call."

"I will."

Morgan heads back to his office. He opens the file and starts to scan it. First he reads the history Brent had put into the system to replace her real history. He then reads her original history.

"Stepfather…still no sign of a stepfather." He grabs a folder that has Emily's write up of her conversation with Brent just before the suicide. It has the picture taken from Brent's phone of her and an as yet unidentified man. "Gave up a stepfather and father pretty easily. And then this is the only personal pic on her work phone. Why? Why does this bug the crap out of me?" He grabs his phone. "Garcia, have you run the pic from Brent's camera through facial recognition?"

"Nope, that was handled by Emily's people."

"Run it. Something about the picture and Brent's history is really bugging me."

"Okay, I'll run it now. I'll let you know if it hits."

"Thanks, Baby Girl." As he hangs up he sees Hotch standing at the door. He sighs. "I know we're technically off the case but- -"

"What's bugging you?"

"Brent runs. Leaves the one pic on her phone. Why the hell not delete it before switching the phones? Why the hell even have it on there? She spills about her birth father and the Persian Gulf War before eating her gun. Next thing we do is, of course, run her background again. We focus on her."

Hotch stiffens seeing where he is going. "We focus on her as the mole and stop looking at anyone else."

Morgan nods. "Right. She was the sacrificial lamb. That means someone out there is still probably getting info on Emily's task force."

"Has to be someone above Brent."

"Wayans?"

Hotch shakes his head. "I don't think so. Here's what's bugging me: with all the extra security at the Capital, they still got those bombs in place. Proximity jammers disrupted the camera feed just long enough for someone to get to those closets and place them and get back out. Why wasn't a red flag raised when the feeds went black?"

Morgan nods. "And what better way to get into the Capital than with a Capital police badge. We're looking at the wrong damn people." He stands. "Can I take Reid?"

Hotch nods. "Go. Tell her she has the full support of the Bureau behind her if needed."

"I will."

"And tell her I'm having Garcia hack the Capital police employee files. We'll find the connect to Brent. Rossi and I will be helping her."

"Good"

Morgan hurries into the bullpen. "Reid, with me. Now."

Reid stands and shoves a few files into his satchel. He sees Morgan has his go bag and grabs his, too. He catches up to the older agent at the elevator.

"Where are we going?"

"Secret Service Headquarters."

Reid stiffens. "Emily called?"

"Nope. We're going to surprise her."

Reid nods. "Okay."

As they step on the elevator, Morgan studies the younger man. "You and Prentiss work things out?"

"Not officially. Why?"

Morgan smiles. "You called her Emily."

Reid gives a half-grin. "Just came to a few realizations yesterday while I was watching the crowd. She never let me push her away when I was dealing with Hankel and…stuff. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't return the favor?"

Morgan claps him on the back. "Good. She had a right to her anger at me and Hotch. I'm sorry you got dragged into it."

Reid nods. "I forgive you and not just because you work with me on hand-to-hand drills," he says with a grin.

Morgan laughs as they hurry out to grab a Bureau SUV and head to D.C. to help their friend.

* * *

Emily shakes her head, staring at the notes on the table. _"Damn it, Prentiss, what are you missing? Well, other than the teammates that help you figure this crap out."_ She runs a hand through her hair. _"I know haste makes mistakes but God damn it, my daughter's first birthday party is tomorrow! I'll be fucking damned if I miss it! I missed seeing her crawl the first time because of the job. What if tomorrow she decides to start walking instead of crawling to keep up with Henry? What if she blows out the candle all by herself? DAMN IT! I should be there to help her! And damn it, my wife is fucking destroyed about the nesters but trying to hide it. Why the hell am I here instead of there with her? WHY?"_

"When you finish beating yourself up let us know."

Emily spins around to see Morgan and Reid standing in the room. "What…what are you doing here?"

"We have some information for you. Garcia will have more when she finishes what she's working on."

"I thought you guys were off the case," Emily says with a grin.

Reid smiles. "Like we'd leave you hanging in the wind." He steps towards her, staring into her eyes. "You've never let us down, why would we let you down."

Emily sees his statement is about more than just the case. She struggles to hold back her tears.

"Thank you."

Reid is studying the notes on the table. "What are these?"

"These are all Brent's notes. She was a narcissist on a mission. She'd have left something behind to tell us how stupid we were. I know it's there but I just can't see it." She squeezes his arm. "You don't know how many times I wished you were here to help me see what I'm missing. I…I've missed you, Reid."

He gives her his half-grin. "I've missed you, too." He pauses a moment and glances at Morgan, who understands and steps away. "Garcia told me about…the drinking. You were always there for me when I felt the pull to the Dilaudid. I'm here for you now. Anytime, day or night."

This time Emily can't stop the tears. She pulls him into a hug. "Thank you," she croaks out. After a second she steps back. "Okay, let me get with Morgan while you play with the puzzle on the table."

"Okay. Where are Allen and Noth?"

"Sent them to dinner. Guess I need to call them and tell them to bring back dinner for you two, also. My treat."

"Damn right it is," Morgan says with a grin.

Emily makes the call and then looks at Morgan. "So, my office?"

He nods. "Probably for the best."

They head down there and Morgan lays out the theory he and Hotch had come up with. Emily slowly nods.

"I felt the same way about the picture. It's just too convenient that it's there."

The two agents sit in silence a moment. Emily suddenly sits up.

"It's too easy."

"What is?"

"What if they expected us to suspect a Capital police mole? What if they wanted us to waste time digging into those backgrounds?"

Morgan slowly nods. "But it's not a police officer. Fuck, it could be anyone with access: staffer, intern, anyone."

Emily nods. "Right. These are older terrorists, either male or female as we saw. So I doubt an intern. And staffers are vetted very well." She grabs her phone and calls Garcia. "Garcia, strange question: have any Capital police officers died in the past month?"

"Uh, creepy but let's see." Garcia types in the search. "Oh, look at that. A 38-year old Capital police officer was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound two weeks ago."

"Single, no immediate family?" Emily guesses.

"Uh, yeah. How did you know?"

"Okay, next question may need some time to answer: was his security badge used this week?"

"Ooooo, I so see where you are going with this. I'll hit you back when I have an answer."

"Thanks, Garcia." Emily hangs up and looks at Morgan. "So, we would know how but still not who."

"Wrong: we find out when he used the badge and look for the cameras not affected by the jammer. He couldn't have carried all 4 of those bombs in at the same time."

"Right. And once we find out when his badge was used we can find out when the system was hacked to reactivate it. Find that hack and I bet Garcia can trace it back to the source computer."

Morgan nods. "And then we have them."

"Fucking A," Emily agrees. She glances at her watch. "Dinner will probably be here now. Go eat. I need to call Jen."

Morgan nods and stands. "Okay. Give her my love."

Emily smiles and nods. "You know I will." Morgan starts towards the door. "Derek…"

He turns. "Yeah?"

"About Winslow…I…we were…there's no need to yell it out when this is done. Our shit is in the past. I just…the only shit left are the nightmares I have to get through alone."

He steps closer to her. "Never alone, Emily. You never have to get through them alone."

She nods, once again choked up. "Right. I love you, Derek."

"Love you, too, Emily. Now call that wife of yours before she gets pissed about me taking her time with you," he says with a smile.

Emily chuckles. "Right. Thanks."

* * *

As soon as the door is closed, Emily picks up her personal phone and hits her wife's number. When JJ answers she sounds tired.

"Hi, Em."

"Damn, Jen…I should be there with you," Emily immediately says.

JJ can't help but smile at the devotion in her wife's voice. "You have a job to do, Emily."

"I'm your wife, Jen. That's the most important job." Emily pinches the bridge of her nose. "I'm sorry I'm not there. Sorry I took this task force job when you needed me."

"I'm not sorry you took that job, Emily. You saved hundreds of people yesterday. And the work you're doing will save more. And, let's face it you needed time away from me and the team."

Emily sighs. "Yeah, I guess I did." Emily smiles. "Morgan and Reid showed up with new information for me. And Garcia is running a couple of searches for me. They just…they came through for me, Jen, when I wasn't even expecting them to."

JJ smiles. "Of course they did: they're your family, Em. Families argue but the love never goes away as long as someone is willing to fight for it."

Emily nods. "You're right. But, enough about that, how are you, baby? Really."

"I'm…feeling guilty."

"Guilty? Why on Earth are you feeling guilty?"

JJ bites her lip a second before answering. "I…I was wondering…when things were so tense and you had moved out I…I wondered if it would be for the best if none of the nesters took."

"Oh, sweetheart…how could you not think that? But that had nothing to do with why it didn't work. So much goes into the process and- -"

"I wasn't even trying for Henry but that worked."

Emily swallows as she prepares herself for what she has to say. "Jen, I dare say you and Will probably had sex multiple times over the weekend Henry was conceived. You all rarely saw each other and I'm pretty sure you would make up for lost time. I'm sure with all those…chances it was a given that one of his swimmers would make it to the promised land."

JJ can't help but chuckle. "The promised land? Twisted, Mrs. Prentiss."

Emily smiles. "If it makes you smile it's not twisted, it's perfect."

"Charmer."

"I try to be. By the way, Reid and I talked. We're good. He even…offered to be an ear for me if I kept turning to the alcohol."

"That's great, baby." JJ thinks a second. "Have you…needed it?"

"Surprisingly no. Right now all my focus is this damn task force. Can't think about drinking right now."

"And…when it's done?"

"Then I'll have you and Henry and Rocky to focus on. I won't need it, Jen. I promise."

"I believe you. Em, about tomorrow…maybe we should postpone it until- -"

"No! Your family is coming, my parents are coming. The BAU will be there if they aren't on a case."

"But what about you? You shouldn't miss it, Em."

"I swear, Jen, I will do my damnedest not to miss it."

"I know, Em. I guess…you need to get back to work. Will you be home tonight?"

"I…I don't know. Depends on how these leads pan out. If not, I'll call you. I love you, Jennifer."

"I love you, too, Emily. Want to talk to the kids?"

Emily smiles. "Of course."

Emily stays on the phone with her family for another 10 minutes. By the time she gets off her mind is a little clearer. She is getting ready to head to the conference room when Reid bursts into her office.

"I GOT IT!"

Emily smiles. "You figured out her messages?"

"Yes. And it's not good. Not good at all. There's another attack coming."

Emily nods. "I know."

Reid frowns. "You…you know?"

"The President and Congress are doing exactly what the terrorists thought they would: holding a big press conference on the steps of the Capital tomorrow to show they will not be cowed by terrorism. It hit me while I was talking to Jen. They knew there would be a big rally of some sort no matter the outcome of yesterday's attack. Why not attack that rally, too, and show they are also not intimidated or stopped just because one action was foiled? That's why the amount of explosives and shrapnel used up until now have not matched the trash we found in Baltimore. Now we just need to figure out how to find them and stop them before that attack happens."

Reid smiles. "Two geeks really are better than one. I think I know how to find them."


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: Emily has a brief conversation in Arabic. It will appear in italics.**

* * *

After getting the run down from Reid on what he had discovered, Emily regretfully calls Jen and tells her she would not be home that night. She is heartened to hear Garcia had called and said she was spending the night with Jen since she'd talked to Morgan and knew what was going down.

Emily had next called Wayans. "Harlan, I need you to mobilize two strike teams."

"Two?"

"Yes. We found the other two houses."

"We need to get them under surveillance. We need to see what they do the next few days."

"We don't have time for that. They'll be preparing to strike tomorrow at the rally on the steps of the Capital. Even if they don't get the President or the Congressmen, hundreds will be hurt or killed. Do you _really_ want to take that chance? We can waste time watching or move in and stop them. Your call, Harlan."

He sighs. "No, it's yours. We do it your way."

"Glad you see reason."

"I assume you'll be in charge of the team hitting the house with greater potential for danger. Who's taking charge of the second team?"

"Aaron Hotchner."

"Hotchner? Shit, did you call in the BAU again?"

"Nope, they just showed up. See, they don't like to leave things unfinished. Hotch and Rossi will lead the second team. Morgan and Reid will be with me on the first house. Noth will go with Hotch. Allen will be with me. This ends tonight, Harlan."

He nods. "Let me make the calls. Where do we mobilize?"

"Send them to Quantico. The two houses are in Virginia. That's why they gave us Baltimore so we'd waste time looking in Maryland."

"Sons of bitches," he mutters. "How did you figure it all out?"

"Brent left us breadcrumbs she didn't expect us to find until after everything went down. She never planned on Dr. Spencer Reid and his brain to figure it out so soon."

"Good. Have you figured out how they got into the Capital?"

"Yes. Capital officer died of a supposedly self-inflicted gunshot wound. His badge was reactivated by a hacker and they used it to plant the bombs. Caught a good view of the bastard that did if from a camera out of range of his jammer. The officer who was supposed to be monitoring the cameras is in Hawaii on vacation. Jackasses got a hold of his security badge."

"Shit. How come no one noticed the new guys?"

"They sent an email 'transferring' the two men to the night shift. Who would expect it to be terrorists in disguise? It was very well conceived and carried out."

"Damn good job, Prentiss."

"Thank you. But it wasn't just me and the task force. Without the BAU we'd still be 10 steps behind and watching hundreds of funerals instead of waving banners about our superiority over the terrorists."

"I'll make note of that. Glad you called them in even if it pissed me off a bit at first."

"I am, too. I'll call you when we get to Quantico."

"Right."

Emily hangs up and grabs her go bag. She had already changed into her infiltration gear. She walks into the conference room and sees everyone else has, too.

"Hotch, Rossi, you'll lead the strike on the house in McLean. Noth, you'll be with them. Morgan, Reid, Allen, you'll be with me in Alexandria. This ends tonight because I have a birthday party to be at tomorrow. Any questions?" No one has any. "Let's get to Quantico. Two strike teams will meet us there. We do coordinated take downs at 3 a.m. We strike at the same time so they have no chance to warn each other."

Hotch nods. "Understood. Let's go."

* * *

Emily stares out at the men and women who would be striking the two locations. She points the whiteboard behind her.

"Team 1, we'll be hitting this house. Preliminary surveillance has 6 people inside, all men. Agents watching the house right now report hurried activity as if in preparation for a major offensive. Expect them to be armed, expect there to be bombs. If you hear the word run don't be a hero just get your ass out."

She looks at Hotch. "You'll lead team 2 against this house." She walks over to the next aerial picture of the house. So far 5 people have been seen though there is a possibility that there is at least 1 more. They are also active right now. They do have firearms but it is believed there are no explosives at this location based on a walk by of a bomb sniffing dog."

"They sent a dog handler in?" Rossi asks.

"Sort of. Undercover. His dog 'got away' from him. Looked like just a neighborhood guy chasing down his dog."

"Did they pull that at both houses? If so, and these guys have talked, they'll be expecting something," Morgan points out.

"They only pulled it on the secondary location." She takes a deep breath and tapes a picture up on the board. "This man has been identified as Omar Khali, a bomb-maker. He is at the first location. He would not let the bombs out of his sight until they are ready to use. That's why we believe that the teams would be meeting at the first house in the morning to arm themselves with the bombs. Most likely they will not be armed until they are ready to move out. But don't count on that. Expect anything," she cautions them. "All of these people are willing to die for their cause. Killing any of us will be seen as a badge of honor that will gift them extra treasures in the afterlife." She pauses a moment. "Let's send them to Hell empty handed."

Everyone cheers that thought. Emily lets them get that out of their system. She then looks at her watch.

"It's 1:30. Hotch, gather your team and get to know them. We leave here at 2. You and I need to synchronize our watches. Both houses have to be taken at exactly the same time to minimize their chances of warning each other. They get out warnings and it will be a bloodbath."

Hotch nods. "Let's do it." He turns to the others. "My team, conference room across the hall."

As his team files out, he steps up to Emily so they can make sure their watches are exactly the same. He pauses her hand as she finishes adjusting her watch.

"You're a damn fine agent, Emily Prentiss. It's an honour to work for you."

She smiles. "Shouldn't I be saying that to you?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Depends. Do you really believe that?"

Emily nods. "I do. About Winslow…I could have insisted Morgan stay behind. I could have stayed with Anna. There were…mistakes all over that damn case. It's done."

He nods. "Okay. But…I had Straus put a reprimand in my file. I made a bad call that endangered an agent. It shouldn't be forgotten. I know I'll never forget it."

For some it may seem like pointless words. But Emily knows the weight Hotch puts on personal responsibility. He wouldn't have asked for a reprimand just to appease Emily. He knows he was wrong. And that is enough for Emily.

"Thank you, sir. It's an honour to work for you, too. I…I hope my desk is still available when this task force ends."

He nods. "It will be. But for now, I work for you. Time to go get my team ready so I don't disappoint my boss."

Emily grins. "Right. I hear she can be a real bitch when things don't go her way."

He rolls his eyes. "You don't know the half of it."

Emily chuckles as Hotch goes out to get his team ready.

* * *

At 2:59 Emily leads her team from their concealed locations towards the front door of the house in a middle-class neighborhood in Alexandria. In her mind she can see Hotch doing the same thing in McLean. She drops to her knees beside the front steps as two men in SWAT gear quietly ascend the steps, battering ram at the ready. Two more men stand behind them to be first into the house. In the backyard, Morgan is a mirror image of his partner as men prepare to break down that door.

Emily brings her wrist mike up. "Prepare to enter," she whispers. "Countdown 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. GO!"

In Virginia, in different cities, 4 doors are bashed in at the exact same time in 2 different locations. Men start to scream in Arabic as they realize what is happening.

"FREEZE! FBI! FREEZE! HANDS WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM!" Morgan shouts as two men run out of the kitchen towards the front of the house.

"FBI! STOP!" Emily yells at other men.

Orders to halt are given by the American agents. Three men stop running but two others still scramble to get away.

"Where's the sixth man?" Emily mutters. "Where the hell is he?"

She hears shots and knows the two men that had continued to run are dead. There would be not shooting to wound tonight.

"CLEAR!" an officer calls out.

Gradually everyone calls out clear, letting Emily know the terrorists are all dealt with. She shakes her head.

"Where the fuck is the last man?" she demands to know.

Her earbud comes on. "Boss, you need to see this," Leroy says.

She makes her way to the basement to see what Leroy and two officers have found.

"Son of a bitch…they're gone."

Tags from backpacks, bits of wire, and other detritus from the bombs are littered around an otherwise empty table. She storms back upstairs and grabs the first terrorist she sees. She yanks him to his feet, not caring about the wrist or ankle restraints on him.

"_Where are the bombs_?" she demands in 3 different Arabic dialects. He doesn't answer. She punches him in the face. "_WHERE ARE THEY_?"

He smiles at her, a trickle of blood coming from his mouth. "_You are too late, woman. The blood of the infidels will run in the streets like a river. The whole world will see your country collapse._"

"_The fuck they will_," she says…and punches him again. "_Where are they?_" she asks, a murderous calm in her voice. He spits in her face. She pulls her gun and sticks it between his eyes. "_Where. Are. They_?" He still says nothing. She slowly lowers the gun and points it between his legs. "_You'll die eventually but what good will getting all those virgins be without your dick_?"

"_You wouldn't dare,"_ he says, nerves finally showing in his eyes.

Her only response is the cocking of the gun. He swallows trying to see if there is any hesitation in the woman in front of him. His eyes flick to the other officers in the room. None are making a move to intervene. He looks back to Emily. She shoves the gun in harder.

"_Last chance."_

He lets out a whimper…and tells her two men have already gone to start deploying the bombs. They are dressed as Capital Police officers so no one would think twice about them.

"Son of a bitch," Emily mutters. She had not expected them to use the two identities again. She storms out of the house and calls Hotch. "Your house was empty, wasn't it?"

Hotch nods as he looks around the living room. "Yes, it is."

"Khali and one other man left here with the bombs to start to deploy them. They are using the police uniforms and badges again. Those at your house are most likely the ones who will retrieve and detonate the bombs. These bastards here are younger. They weren't to die this time. They just had to get it going then disappear to set up another cell somewhere else. They're fucking ahead of us again."

"How is that possible?" Hotch asks.

"I have a theory. Morgan and I are on our way to you. Harlan can meet Leroy here and shut this place down."

"See you soon."

Emily hangs up and looks at Morgan, Reid and Leroy, who had followed her out. "You two heard?" They nod. "Good. Leroy, every bit of evidence logged and taken in. These bastards will pay for all of it. Most likely the rest will die."

He nods. "You can count on it, Boss."

"Let's go, Morgan."

* * *

Hotch and Rossi are leaning up against the command van. They watch as crime techs start to collect evidence from the house.

"What did Emily say?" Rossi asks.

"She knew the house was empty. We need to know how surveillance missed these guys leaving."

"I can tell you that. They're dead. Bullets to the temples then shoved in the trunk of their car," Rossi tells him.

"Fuck. How the hell did they know?"

A few minutes later Emily's sedan screams into the area and skids to a stop. She is out of it almost before the engine stops running. She storms across the lawn and grabs Timothy Noth by the collar. She slams him against a car sitting in the driveway.

"You told him. You fucking told Cervantes everything, didn't you?"

His eyes widen. "How…how…"

"Saw your chat with him last week in the lobby. You didn't tell him anything then and I decided you could be trusted. What did he do, huh? Dangle a promotion in front of your face? Promise you the assignment of your choice? What the FUCK did he promise you?"

Noth swallows, guilt in his eyes. "Promotion and assignment of my choice. A chance to lead my own team."

"You could have gotten people KILLED you ignorant son of a BITCH! Instead, you've given these fuckers a chance to move the bombs into position. Why did Cervantes want to know?"

"He…he wanted a chance to turn Khali. He thought if we let him get away and then caught him later we'd have him in our pocket."

"Stupid fucking shithead. BOTH of you! I fucking trusted you, Noth. And now…now I'll make sure you pay right along with Cervantes for this one. You won't be able to get a job as a crossing guard by the time I'm done with you. And that won't be until AFTER you get out of prison for treason!"

"TRE- -TREASON?"

"Aiding and abetting a terrorist is TREASON, you stupid fuck." She spins him around and cuffs him. She shoves him at one of the officers who is standing there…looking really pissed off. "Take him in. Patriot Act protocol. He calls no one and I swear if anyone tips off Cervantes before his ass is in custody more heads will roll."

The officer nods. "Understood, ma'am."

Emily pulls out her phone and places a call to the Quantico tactical commander. "Commander White, Emily Prentiss. Need you to get a couple guys and take a traitor into custody. A CIA fuck by the name of Reginald Cervantes." She listens a second. "Full Patriot Act, that's right. He speaks to no one until I speak to him. Might let the fucker stew in a cell for a few days before I bother." She listens. "Right. And keep him separated from another detainee, Timothy Noth." She nods. "Exactly. I also need 8 of your most trusted men to meet me at the Capital ASAP. We'll be looking for bombs." She listens again. "Thank you, sir. Sorry for the wake-up call."

She hangs up and approaches her team. Rossi smiles at her.

"You know, kid, I think you might scare me more than all three of my ex-wives combined."

Emily can't help but chuckle. She then takes a deep breath. "Look, this is going to be a long night. I can't ask you to go with me to D.C."

"Don't even fucking start down that road, Prentiss," Morgan states.

"We've got your back, Em," Reid adds.

She nods. "Thank you. White said his men can be there in a half hour. From now on this is an FBI case, not a fucking task force. Hotch, as unit chief if you want to take the lead I understand."

"Hell no. This is your op, Prentiss. Take it home."

She nods. "Thank you, sir. Let's go."

* * *

It is 5:33 a.m. when Morgan keys his mike. "Prentiss, I have movement near a trashcan. From here it looks like Khali and he is definitely placing something in the can."

"Dressed as a cop?"

"Affirmative."

"Bastard."

Morgan smiles. "Affirmative again."

"Everyone hold your positions. I'm on my way. Do NOT interfere with my confrontation with him. Stay back until I call clear."

Though none of them like the unspoken understanding that he should only be allowed to kill one person instead of all of them, they all respond copy. Emily moves quickly and quietly towards her target. He steps away from the can having placed the final bomb. Unknown to him, his partner had already been taken into custody and all of the bomb locations are now identified.

"OMAR KHALI!" Emily calls out, her gun pointed at the man.

He spins around, shock on his face. "I…I'm not…I'm Officer Martin- -"

"You are Omar Khali. The man you are impersonating is dead instead of enjoying his Hawaiian vacation. His body was found earlier this evening in his car at Dulles along with his fiancé's body. We took out the house in Alexandria. We've taken out the man helping you plant the bombs, and we'll take out the people that come looking for them in the morning. It's over. Surrender or die here. I really don't care which at this point," she tells him viciously.

"I think I prefer to die here. Allah will welcome me with open arms for all I have done in his name."

"No, he won't. Allah is a God of peace, not terror."

"Peace is only achieved through war, Agent." He rips open his shirt to show the vest bomb underneath. "Time for my final act of devotion.

He races towards Emily. A bullet to his head drops him…as his body explodes, sending Emily flying like a ragdoll.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: Okay! Okay! I'll finish it tonight. But don't blame me if you don't like the Author's Note at the end! :o)**

* * *

Emily forces her body to go limp. There had been no bench, no trashcan, nothing to hide behind this time. She had been 99.9% sure this would be Khali's response to being arrested. All she can do is try to make her body as flexible as possible to minimize the pain of impact.

Doesn't seem to work because it still hurts like shit when she lands.

The breath gets knocked out of her. She lies for a moment, trying to catch her breath. Suddenly Morgan's face appears in front of her.

"EMILY!"

"Fi- -fi- -fine. Breathe…need…air…"

"Just relax. Bastard's dead. All the bombs are located. This shit is really over."

Emily slowly shakes her head and sits up. "No, it's not. We need to get a cover story out about this explosion. I'm thinking gas buildup in the sewers like in Georgetown a few years ago. And then we sit on the bomb locations. When the bastards come for the packs in the morning, we arrest them. Call them pick-pockets, loiterers, I don't care. But they get taken when they go for the bombs."

Morgan nods. "Got it." He stands and offers her his hand. She takes it and climbs to her feet. "All okay?" he asks with concern.

She nods. "Fine. But I'm going to hurt like shit tomorrow."

He chuckles. "Damn right you are. You're getting too old for this crap, Prentiss."

She grins and pats him on the shoulder. "You can say that again. Let's get everyone together and get ready to bring this to an end. The big press conference is at 9. People will start to gather by 8."

"Lead on, Boss," he says.

She just raises an eyebrow at him as they make their way to the prearranged meeting point.

* * *

It is 8:45 and a large crowd has gathered near the Capital steps. Barriers keep them back a few feet but if a bomb is tossed it could easily clear the barrier and hit the legislators.

But there are no live bombs anymore. Thanks to the tags left at the house in Alexandria, replacements had been purchased and stuffed to look full even before the 6 bombs were found. Now those fakes sit in place awaiting the 6 men who would retrieve them and use them to kill.

Emily scans the crowd from her position near the Capital steps. She stands on a small riser so she can see above the crowd. She sees movement near one of the cans. She lifts her wrist.

"Suspicious activity at can 2," she reports.

"Copy. Moving in," Hotch responds.

Emily watches as Hotch and two officers approach the man who is carefully removing the backpack from the can. It is obvious he thinks it could explode if he moves too quickly. Hotch grabs him by the arm.

"Drop it. It's a fake and you're under arrest."

The man starts to pull away then notices the two police officers in front of him with their guns out. He immediately calms. Hotch cuffs him and pats him down. A couple of civilians watch with interest.

"You're under arrest for stealing that backpack. Let's go," Hotch says loud enough for those around to hear.

By 8:59 all but one terrorist has been taken into custody. Two had tried to cause a scene but had been quickly quieted by pepper spray…laced with a narcotic thanks to Harlan Wayans. Emily's attention is now completely on the last can. She hears the crowd start to clap as the legislators start to file out of the Capital. First the Senators, then the Representatives, and then finally the President. She had managed to convince Secret Service that the Vice President should not be here.

"Where the hell are you," she whispers. "Where are you hiding?"

Her eyes stray to the people gathered at the security barrier. As she starts to swing her attention back to the can a face catches her eye. She quickly looks back, searching the crowd for the man who had been in the picture with Brent. It takes her a second but she finally spots him. He stares with a murderous calm at the descending mass of people.

"_Shit…Khali would have set off a bomb himself. He'd want to see his own handiwork. But the hit to the lawmakers was supposed to be the start of it all_," she suddenly realizes. Khali's was the sixth can. But a vest bomb right at the barrier would do untold damage. She lifts her mike as she eases off the riser. "Suspect in second row behind security barrier. Believe he is wearing a vest bomb. Moving in."

"Prentiss! No!" Hotch comes back.

Emily puts herself between the legislators and the bomber. She would only have one shot. If he even thinks he's been discovered he'll detonate. She eases her gun out of her holster and cocks it, scanning the crowds as if looking for someone. As soon as she gets right in front of him she takes one calming breath. From the corner of her eye she sizes up where he is. He is now at the front of the crowd. Perfect.

In one motion she turns and fires, putting a bullet right between his eyes. People scream and panic, scattering away from the area. Legislators race to get back into the building.

Emily, gun still ready, approaches the man on the ground. He's dead. She vaults over the barrier and carefully unzips the jacket he wears. Her eyes get wide as she sees the timer counting down. It's just got 7 seconds left.

"DEADMAN SWITCH! RUN! RUN! RUN!" she screams, waving her arms to get the first responders away. She grabs a small child that a mother is struggling with, pushing the woman ahead of her. She races for the side of the steps, hoping to hide them all behind the marble side of it.

For the second time in less than 6 hours an explosion rocks the area…and Emily's team has no idea if she made it to safety or not.

"PRENTISS!" Morgan screams into his mike. "PRENTISS REPORT! EMILY!"

"Stop…yelling," she mumbles into her mike. "Help the…injured."

"You sound like you're one of the injured," he states, racing towards her location.

"Not injured. Just…too old…for this shit."

Morgan can't help but smile but doesn't stop running until he reaches his partner's side. She looks up as he comes around the side

"Hell of a shot, Em. You sure you're not hurt?"

"I'm fine. Just had to catch my breath." She extends her hand to him and he pulls her up. "Dead? Injured?"

"Some injuries. Shrapnel in the bomb so it may have been the ones with rat poison on them. EMT's and hospitals were briefed that it was a possibility and are treating people accordingly."

"The Congressmen?"

"All okay." He grins and looks around. "Of course they looked like chickenshits in front of the camera's running and screaming." Emily chuckles at the image. "But they are okay."

"Good." She kneels down beside the woman, who holds her son like she will never let him go again. "Are you okay, ma'am?"

"I…I…" the woman can't speak.

Emily lifts her wrist. "I need a medic at the Capital steps. Mother and child in need of assistance." She brings her mike down and strokes a hand over the little boy's head. "It will be okay, ma'am. Just stay here and someone will be here in a moment. It's over, ma'am."

Emily stands back up. She and Morgan step away to give the woman a bit of privacy with her son. They look over as Hotch, Rossi, Reid and Wayans walk up. Wayans extends his hand to Emily.

"Damn fine job, Prentiss. We'll need to make as statement and- -"

"You make it. I could care less about being in front of a camera. I need to get this shit written up, see to the bookings and arrests from last night and this morning, and then I have a very important party to attend."

Wayans smiles. "One of the Senators already extended an invite?"

"Fuck no. Something more important with an even more important guest than any of those blowhards up there."

"Oh! The President."

"Hell no. My daughter's first birthday. No one in the world more important than my kids."

Wayans smiles. "I can understand that. We'll have a lot of paperwork to deal with on Monday. After that…well…we'll have to discuss your future. You've opened a lot of doors for yourself the past couple of weeks."

"Only door I need is the one to the bullpen at the BAU."

"At least give me a chance to tell you what I'm thinking."

"Suit yourself. Won't change my mind. When it came down to it, Harlan, the team you put together had two members with their own agenda. I don't have that problem with my team. We're there for each other. Always."

He raises an eyebrow. "Well…not always," he says, referring to Winslow.

She steps into his face. "_Always_," she reiterates. "Bad decisions are bad decisions. I still know their hearts. And that is more important than anything. Now excuse me, I have some work to do."

Harlan watches her walk away…and knows he will never work with Emily Prentiss again.

* * *

In the Capital security conference room Emily stares at the members of her team. Only Leroy Allen remains from her task force. She extends her hand to him.

"Damn fine job, Leroy. You ever need a reference you have one."

He nods. "Thanks, Boss. It's been a pleasure working with you."

She grins. "You say that now. Wait until we start all the damn paperwork on Monday."

He chuckles. "As long as it doesn't explode I'll be happy to work on it."

Emily nods and smiles her agreement. She turns to her BAU teammates. "I can never thank you all enough for your help. They would have won if you hadn't ignored the bullshit and stepped up to the plate. I need to get a few statements from you and I'll probably have some follow up with you next week but for the most part you're free of all this crap. Give me a couple hours and then enjoy the rest of your weekend."

Her teammates nod. She starts towards the office. "Rossi, how about you first."

He nods and stands. "Sounds good."

As he enters, he closes the doors behind him and sits down. They stare across the desk at each other.

"Why does it seem like you never got pissed at me?" Emily asks bluntly.

Rossi smiles. "You were hurting, kid. Of course you lashed out at those that love you and that you love in return. Who else do we hurt the most?"

"So…we've always been good?"

He nods. "Yes. I was a bit disappointed in the way you handled your anger but I never faulted you for it. Truth is you're right: Hotch or I should have been out there with you. I have to live with the fact that I was glad Morgan said he could make the trek. I didn't want to go but I should have. Next time I'll put you and the team ahead of my own personal comfort. I'm sorry I wasn't out there for you, Emily. I swear I'll never make that mistake again."

Emily smiles. "Thanks, Rossi. I promise to try to voice my displeasure in a more mature way in the future."

"Just try to?"

Emily shrugs. "Hey, I know me too well to promise it outright."

They both share a laugh. Finally Emily sits forward. "Okay, time to get back to the shit at hand."

He nods and Emily starts to take his statement regarding what happened starting with the home raids the night before.

* * *

Reginald Cervantes leaps to his feet as Emily approaches his jail cell. "Prentiss! Get my ass out of here!"

Emily stands a foot away from the bars. "Noth told us everything, Cervantes. You wanted to turn Khali and instead you gave him the time and space he needed to set up his cell, build his bombs, and nearly succeed in his attack against our government. Not only is your ass staying in that cell but you'll be lucky to spend the rest of you life in it."

"Oh, really? And if I'm not lucky?"

She steps closer to the cell, her eyes hardening even more. "If you're not lucky, and I am, you'll be able to tell Myron Phillipe hello for me."

She turns and starts to walk out. He is still screaming and cussing at her but she is done with him. Time to get home to the ones that can help her forget all about the hell of this task force and prepare for the questions and debriefings yet to come.


	27. Chapter 27

It is 4:15 before Emily pulls into her driveway. Rocky's party started at 4. As Emily starts to get out she realizes how stiff and sore her body has gotten.

"Oh, this fucking sucks."

She takes a deep breath and manages to get out. She leaves her go bag but grabs her briefcase. Before she gets up the walk, the door is open and JJ is racing out to her. The blonde leaps into her wife's arms.

"Oh, Em!"

Emily hugs her close. Suddenly her aches and pains aren't as bad now that JJ is in her arms. After a few minutes JJ eases back, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"We saw. It was on and we watched and when I saw where you were I knew he had to be right there and all I could think was that I was about to watch you die. God, Em, what would I have done?"

Emily gives her a kiss. "I hate that you saw that, Jen. But I'm here and I'm okay. Sore, tired as fuck but mostly okay. I tried to make it on time. I'm sorry I'm late."

JJ smiles and wipes her cheek. "Never has the saying 'better late than never' meant so much to me." She gives her wife another kiss and pulls her into another tight embrace. As it ends, she strokes a hand down Emily's cheek. "Are you okay? Really?"

"Yes. Nothing the two cutest kids in the world can't cure. Promise."

"Good. I warn you, I had to threaten to pull my gun for the chance to greet you alone. As soon as we walk in expect two sets of parents to engulf you."

Emily smiles. "I think I can handle that."

They share another kiss then turn and, hand in hand, walk up to the front door. As soon as they walk in Elizabeth and Sandy pull Emily into their arms. No words are spoken as the two mothers cry and Emily struggles to breathe. Elizabeth eventually leans back.

"I have never been more proud of you in my life, Emily Elizabeth Prentiss. Senator Cullen even called Gerald to personally praise you and thank you for your service."

Emily raises an eyebrow. "And to try to curry a campaign donation."

Elizabeth chuckles. "Probably that, too. But he was right, honey, you were amazing. The dive you did to get behind the safety of the side of the steps was incredible, especially considering you were pushing a woman and holding a child."

"I'll have to take your word for it as I don't remember it."

Sandy chuckles. "Then catch the news at 5, 6, and 11. Trust me, Em, you'll see it."

Emily grins. "Ah, okay." She looks both of her mothers in the eyes. "I'm sore and tired but I swear I really am okay."

"If you insist we'll have to believe you," Sandy says.

Emily chuckles. "You say that like I've hidden injuries from you or something."

"Right. Wherever might we get that idea, Sandy?" Elizabeth says with a smirk.

The two mothers step away so Emily can now be hugged by her fathers. Gerald strokes a hand over her hair and kisses her forehead.

"I am so proud of you, Emily. Very, very proud. I love you, honey."

"I love you, too, Dad." She squeezes Alan's shoulder. "You, too. Sorry I worried you all."

"I'm just glad you remembered how to do that dive I showed you in Alaska," Alan says with a wink.

Emily laughs. "Right. You taught me everything I know, Alan."

He kisses her cheek. "Well done today, Emily. I don't think we can say enough how proud of you we are. And how much we love you."

"I love you all, too."

"MAMA!"

Gerald and Alan step to the side as Henry comes racing down the hall. Emily drops to her knees and catches him as he leaps into her arms. She hugs him close.

"Oh, Henry, I love you so much," she says emotionally.

He pats her shoulder and kisses her cheek. "Boo boo, Mama?" he asks as he wipes away one of her tears.

Emily shakes her head. "Not anymore. Your hug made it all better. You still give the best Henry Hugs ever."

He smiles proudly. "Henry loves Mama."

She kisses his nose. "And Mama loves Henry."

"MAMA!"

Emily looks beyond her son to see her daughter standing, holding onto Francesca's hands. As she watches, Rocky pulls her hands away and walks from the playroom all the way to her Mama. Emily bursts into a fresh round of tears as she pulls Rocky into her arms. Everyone cheers for the little girl.

"Oh, Rocky! So good, Sweet Girl! Oh so, so good!" Emily whispers over and over.

"Her walk, Mama!" Henry squeals.

"Yes, she did, Henry."

Rocky gives Emily a big kiss on the cheek. "Love Mama."

Emily kisses her and hugs her closer. "I love you, too, Rocky. I love you and your brother so very much."

And there in the hallway, hugging her two children, Emily suddenly feels much, much better than she would have believed possible. Her aches and pains have lessened and her exhaustion has ebbed. She feels like a million bucks all thanks to the two cutest kids in the world. JJ runs her hand over her wife's head.

"Baby, how about we get you upstairs for a shower? It will give Dad and Gerald time to get the burgers and dogs grilling."

Emily nods. "That sound like a good plan, Champ?" she asks Henry.

"Si, Mama. Mama stinky."

Everyone laughs as Emily kisses his cheek. "Normally I'd be offended, Champ, but this time I have to agree with you." She kisses both her children once more then releases them to stand up. She groans as her muscles protest. "Did I mention I'm getting too old for all this?"

Morgan, standing in the kitchen doorway chuckles. "I could have told you that, Princess."

She grins. "Watch it, buddy."

He pats her on the back as JJ leads her wife upstairs. In their bedroom, JJ closes the door and steps to her wife, pulling her close once more.

"I want you to know, that walk was a first. She was waiting for you, baby."

Emily sighs. "I'm sorry she had to wait so long." She rubs JJ's stomach. "The rest of our kids, no matter when they come, won't have to wait. I know where I am supposed to be now. I swear, Jennifer Prentiss, I will never forget it again."

JJ nods. "I know. And I promise you, Emily, if you ever push me away again I'll push back. I won't let you run when you really just need love."

Emily gives her a deep kiss. "Thank you."

"Come on: let's get you in the shower, old lady."

Emily just chuckles. But she can't be offended by the old lady comment since she can't lift her arms up and wouldn't have gotten her shirt off without JJ's help. As JJ sees the bruising on her wife's body she shakes her head.

"Oh, honey. What the hell am I going to do with you?"

Emily frames JJ's face with her hands. "We both know that answer: Never, ever let me go."

JJ smiles. "I think I can handle that."

* * *

"…Happy Birthday, dear Rocky! Happy Birthday to you!" everyone sings.

"Blow out the candle, Rock," Emily encourages.

When it looks like Rocky would rather just grab it, Emily and JJ blow it out for her as everyone claps and cheers. The little girl just cackles and waves at everyone. As Sandy cuts the cake, Elizabeth hands out pieces. Emily takes one and walks it over to Hotch.

"Here you go, Hotch."

He nods. "Thanks. So, how did it go today?"

Emily sighs. "Sucks. Would still be there if I hadn't insisted on stopping and pointing out that they at least owed me the chance to go to my daughter's birthday party after all I had done."

Hotch is surprised. "And that worked?"

"Well, only because I promised to go back tomorrow," she admits.

"Tomorrow?" Reid asks walking up. "But it's Sunday."

"And terrorists nearly sent our system of government into the crapper. Lots of questions to answer, lots of blame to lay, lots of you know what to hit the fan. I'll probably be in meetings about this for the next week, maybe two. Especially since we've taken a high ranking member of the CIA into custody as well as one of his protégés." Emily sighs. "I'll do my best to keep you all out of the crosshairs but they may call you all back in for more questions."

"No matter what, we've got your back, Em," Reid assures her.

Emily smiles and pats his arm. "Of that I have no doubt, Handsome."

"None at all?" Hotch wonders.

She turns to look into his eyes. "None at all. Sorry I was such an ass."

"Sorry I put you in the position where it was necessary."

"Mama! Wok wants her presents," Henry calls.

Emily chuckles. "I bet she does." She walks over and smiles at her daughter…whose face is covered in cake and icing. "Gee, Rock, did you actually eat any of the cake?"

"Mmm!" Rocky says as she extends her messy hand to her mama.

Elizabeth walks over with a wet flannel. "Here you go, sweetheart. Let's get you cleaned up so you can open your gifts."

A few minutes later Emily is sitting on the floor with Rocky in her lap. JJ and Henry sit on either side of them so they can help as Rocky opens all her gifts. The little girl squeals with happiness as each one is revealed. Sandy eases over to Elizabeth.

"She so wants to be a part of all this but Emily is about to collapse," she whispers.

Elizabeth nods. "I know. After this we can probably convince her to go lay down. But there was no way she was going to miss any of this."

"I know." She pauses a moment. "They've weathered this horrible storm. They can weather anything."

"I know. They are Prentiss women, after all," Elizabeth replies with a smile.

Sandy chuckles. "What exactly does that mean?"

Elizabeth shrugs. "I have no idea. Just something Gerald's mother used to say all the time."

Sandy laughs. "Ah, of course."

As Rocky opens her last gift, Emily yawns. JJ looks at her wife. "Em, why don't you go lay down? I can probably count on one hand the number of hours you've slept this week."

"It's not that bad, Jen. You'd probably need 2 hands. Maybe," Emily insists with a wink.

"Cara, do not take this wrong, but you look horrible," Francesca tells her. "Listen to your wife. Go. Sleep."

Emily raises an eyebrow. "Do I really look that bad?"

"Yes," Everyone responds.

Emily laughs. "Ah, okay. Guess I'm outnumbered." She kisses Rocky on the head. "So, birthday girl, mind if Mama goes and takes a nap?"

"Love Mama. Nap Mama."

"Si, Mama. Nap time," Henry agrees.

Emily sighs. "Then it seems I'm outnumbered. I just have one request."

"What's that, honey?" Gerald asks.

"Um, can someone help me stand up? I kind of got stiff down here."

Everyone laughs as Morgan and Hotch step forward to get her up on her feet. Her bones and ligaments snap, crackle and pop. Henry's eyes get wide.

"Wow, Mama! Like my cereal!"

Everyone laughs as Emily ruffles his hair. "Yes, Henry, just like your Rice Krispies."

Morgan offers to walk Emily upstairs in case she needs any help on the risers. When they get up, he turns to go back downstairs. She grabs his hand.

"Wait. It's almost 6. Mind catching the news with me? Not sure I want to watch it alone."

He nods and squeezes her hand. "Sure thing, Em."

They go into the bedroom. Emily sits down on the bench at the end of the bed. Morgan sits on the bed behind her, his hand on her shoulder. When the news starts, the very first clip shown with the overview of upcoming reports is Emily firing her gun into a crowd.

"Shit…that looks very, very bad from that angle," she states.

"Don't worry. It gets better."

The anchor comes on talking about a "failed assassination attempt" on the members of Congress and how it was foiled by a joint task force of the CIA, Secret Service and FBI. Emily sighs in relief to hear the cover story is so far holding and the extent of the terrorist cell has not been made public. It will be a few days before the agencies want that information out. It will give them time to pull all their information together and come up with a report that will give the public confidence instead of causing mass panic.

"Here it comes," Morgan warns her.

Emily watches as the clip plays her shooting the suspect and vaulting over the barrier as the public runs. She bends, opens the man's jacket and then runs, screaming for people to get to cover.

"I…I don't remember yelling those orders."

"Well, you did. You were still aiming to save lives even as you ran for your own."

Emily sighs. "I guess that's something."

He rubs her back. "Emily, that's everything. You lived your oath today in a way you never have before. We are all so damn proud of you. And so glad you're still here to hear us sing your praises."

Emily reaches back and takes his hand as the news report goes to the press conference Harlan Wayans had held. "Thanks, Derek."

Morgan takes the controller and turns it off. "The rest is just the political bullshit and media speculating that pisses you off. And you need sleep so it's best to not get you riled up."

Emily laughs. "Yeah, you're right." She stands and he pulls her into hug. "Thanks for being there for me, Derek. Always."

"No thanks needed. I'll always be there for you, Em. I promise."

Emily smiles. "Unless you're shoulder has been recently dislocated."

He laughs. "Uh, we can negotiate if that happens again."

"Right." She leans back. "Love you."

He kisses her forehead. "Love you, too. Now, get some sleep, Princess. You've got a long week ahead of you."

"Ugh. Ain't that the truth."

Emily doesn't even bother to change out of her sweats and t-shirt. She crawls into bed and is asleep almost as soon as her head hits the pillow.

* * *

Several hours later JJ walks into her bedroom. She smiles as she sees Emily cuddled up with the blonde's pillow, Sergio curled up between her feet. She strokes the cat as she walks by and he gives a contented stretch. She quickly gets ready for bed and slowly, carefully extracts her pillow from Emily's arms. Emily groans in protest.

"It's okay, baby," JJ whispers.

She crawls into bed and Emily immediately pulls her into an embrace. JJ smiles and kisses her wife.

"I love you, Emily Prentiss," she coos.

"Lub oo," Emily mumbles.

JJ smiles at the Pavlovian response. How could she have ever doubted the love they share? JJ kisses her once more and falls asleep with the love of her life.

* * *

**A/N: So, there it ends. Hope for all those ready to throttle me you are happy things are back to normal for my version of the team. Already working on #53 but it will be a little while before it posts. Heading to Tennessee on Thursday for the wife's high school reunion and to spend a week with her family. If I get a chance to finish it I'll start to post it. Otherwise it could be a couple weeks before the next uber creepy case begins. **

**Take care, y'all!**  
**AR**


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